The Washington Post is reporting this morning that banned swim coach Rick Curl has turned himself in Thursday morning on one count of child abuse (as pointed out by Tony Austin at the SCAQ Swim Blog).
Despite yesterday denying that any warrant for Curl’s arrest had been issued, in a release today the Montgomery County police department says that a warrant was, in fact, issued on Tuesday, as was first reported by Irv Muchnik at ConcussionInc.net.
In a strange twist, the Maryland State’s Attorney’s office this morning still says that no warrant has been issued, even after the Post’s report that he turned himself in.
If a warrant is imminent, it does not have to be actually issued for Curl to have turned himself in. Suspects in high-profile cases, when they find that a warrant is pending, will sometimes turn themselves in early to avoid a media circus. Still, that information doesn’t jive with the police’s media release that a warrant was issued on Tuesday.
Curl’s attorney Thomas Kelly was immediately unavailable for comment, as he is currently in a meeting with the Montgomery County Police.
Robert Allard, attorney for the accuser Kelley Currin, released a statement after word broke of the arrest.
“Ms. Currin is pleased that justice is going to be carried out against Mr. Curl but there remains unfinished business,” the statement read. As has been the norm, Allard quickly took the issue back to USA Swimming, saying that “we hope that a similar fate is in store for those at USA Swimming who covered up for him over a period of literally decades.”
Allard then made reference to an unnamed Vice President of USA Swimming who has admitted knowledge of the relationship. The 63-year old Curl was charge on accusations that he and a former swimmer Currin had a sexual relationship in the ’80’s, referencing an email sent from David Berkhoff sent to Jeff Chida in July of 2010 saying that “we (coaches and athletes) were all talking about it in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s,” while specifically metioning Curl, among others.
Allard then urged authorities to look into criminal charges against USA Swimming, drawing comparisons to Penn State.
USA Swimming’s response was that Susan Woessner reported the matter to police on July 24th of this year via phone, and then with a follow-up email.
Curl has since resigned his role with the Curl Burke Swim Club and received a lifetime ban from USA Swimming: one that he did not appeal. Police in both Maryland and Virginia (where Curl currently lives) have been conducting their own investigations into the matter.
Response:
Wow, great response, “Response”! I hope that you were able to take a breath when you wrote all of that. I am very impressed! That got me fired up and ready to go, if you will. But I digress. You are correct! Our system is absolutely broken. It is run by attorneys and complainants who sometimes make things up in order to make a lot of money doing so. There is little integrity at all to our system any longer. It has been beguiled by money now for years…
For some perspective of what we are talking about here, one of my dearest friends was going through a divorce a few years back. The couple had many neighbors… Read more »
Why haven’t my comment been added? Please add it.
This site should tell all people their comments won’t be posted if there is nasty labels or profanity or other uncivil states. To say burn do the people want to be more specific? Punished how? Opinionated stop the name calling and educate yourselves. The case consists of nothing but Currin and the NDA and most people dont know millions of NDAs are signed all the time for many reasons and usually forced on an accused who may disagree 100% but due to many reasons, avoiding more costs, avoiding more legal problems, avoiding future interaction with opposing person, business reasons, family, health etc NDAs are signed and money exchanged to keep private… Read more »
Any person which have any positive and encouraging words and offers of any type of support for Rick Curl and his family during this case please contact him through his atty at this time and also anyone who has any information that can help Rick Curl get fully cleared and acquitted in this case please notify his legal team at email [email protected] or http://www.Venable.com Atty is Thomas J. Kelly partner at Venable.com
Thank you for sharing this information with respect to Rick’s counsel, I am very glad to know this… Have a terrific weekend!
I request this and all media sites refuse to post any messages containing profanity or using any name calling in the messages. People should not be allowed to post messages if this cant do so without using negative name calling and those messages not be allowed up.(examples – creep, dirtbag, scumbag, pedafile,monster,sicko,whore,pervert,) no one on any siade of any issue should use such language and it only subtracts from what ever opinion or information they wish to put up.
This site should tell all people their comments won’t be posted if there is nasty labels or profanity or other uncivil states. To say burn do the people want to be more specific? Punished how? Opinionated stop the name calling and educate yourselves. The case consists of nothing but Currin and the NDA and most people dont know millions of NDAs are signed all the time for many reasons and usually forced on an accused who may disagree 100% but due to many reasons, avoiding more costs, avoiding more legal problems, avoiding future interaction with opposing person, business reasons, family, health etc NDAs are signed and money exchanged to keep private but never as an agreement of any accusations by… Read more »
The fact that Rick felt the need AT THE TIME to enter into a secret agreement with an NDA included speaks to his guilt. Making insinuations about the motives of the victim (gee, someone in America got a divorce due to infidelity? Whodathunkit?) is the worst form of “blame the victim” behavior. Since you have no knowledge of the Curran family finances, you literally have no idea what you are talking about.
Like you, I have known and liked (although clearly not as much as you) Rick Curl. But this looks like the real deal. If you have some facts that you can present to authorities that will help in his defense, please do so. If all you have is… Read more »
You know Opinionated, it is people like you that speak not knowing any or all of the facts that do such a grave injustice to our society. First of all, the NDA means very little to nothing here at all. Rick and his partner, timing wise, were just getting the new club Curl/Burke, off of the ground in 1989 when this happened. A story like this – had it gone public at the time, accurately or inaccurately, would have doomed the new company from the very start. An NDA like this – in order to avoid the embarrassment of court given the timing of starting the new company, would not have been uncommon. If the same thing had happened to… Read more »
Having known Rick for some 32 years and having coached with him for three years when I was in college and having roomed with him during most of that time as well, I can say that I know this man very well. These allegations are pure and utter bs, and I suspect that they are no more than a pack of lies… This case is about money, greed, power and control on the part of the plaintiff folks. And it is no more than that. Who signs an NDA and walks away with $150K (which is worth almost half a million dollar’s in today’s dollars by the way) only to bring it up 26 years later? This is someone who… Read more »
If you like to swim – rely on the great people of USA Swimming.
If you want to report a crime – report it to the police and rely on the US legal system.
If you think too many lawyers have tried to make a mockery of said legal system – join the club.
I agree with most of that, but there is a very vocal group who seem to be trying to make this a referendum about lawyers in general, one lawyer in particular, or the legal system. Rick Curl is a scumbag. The fact that the parents did the wrong thing years ago doesn’t change that. The reputation of swimming AS A SPORT has been damaged by the do-nothing approach of the past. This isn’t about Rick Curl, it isn’t about lawyers, it isn’t about whether or not USA Swimming is corrupt or complicit or protectionist. It is about children getting abused by perverts. It is a real problem that needs a real solution. Getting pissed at Allard does nothing to solve… Read more »