Both USA Swimming and Jack Maddan‘s attorney have responded to the coach’s inclusion on the USA Swimming list of Individuals Permanently Suspended or Ineligible.
Maddan, who coached the Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club (also known as FLEET), was officially added to USA Swimming’s banned list under three sections of the USA Swimming Code of Conduct, two of which dealt with “any sexual contact or advance” by a coach towards an athlete. You can read more about the specific codes violated here.
USA Swimming released a statement this week explaining Maddan’s inclusion on the banned list, noting that they had been alerted to an accusation of sexual misconduct and banned Maddan after what the national swimming federation says is a thorough investigation.
The full USA Swimming statement:
“USA Swimming received an allegation of sexual misconduct against Mr. Maddan. The allegation was thoroughly investigated, adjudicated and ultimately found to be a violation of our Code of Conduct, which resulted in a permanent ban from USA Swimming membership. USA Swimming stands by its Code of Conduct and Athlete Protection Policies and is deeply committed to the safety and welfare of all its members. We have zero tolerance when it comes to sexual misconduct.”
“We have a responsibility to protect all of our members, especially youth athletes. It is the mission of the Safe Sport Program to increase awareness to reduce the risk for abuse in sport and our organization has no tolerance for violations of our Code of Conduct.”
SwimSwam contacted Maddan’s attorney for comment, but was told Maddan would not be commenting further on the matter. Maddan’s attorney did reiterate Maddan’s claim that the actions he was accused of did not occur.
The full statement from Maddan’s attorney:
After significant thought, consideration and soul-searching it has been decided that Mr. Maddan will not be making any further statements regarding this situation and USA Swimming other than the statement he has made throughout. He denies that the actions of which he was accused ever took place.
It is shocking to see how many people discredit USA Swimming procedures without even knowing how the system works. There are several layers, all involving volunteers, with zero input from USA Swimming headquarters. People that are assigned to panels are volunteer coaches, volunteer athletes, and volunteer swimmers. No one on the USA Swimming staff is even present during hearings.
For those who continue to say that this was a USA Swimming witch hunt, please clarify. WHO in USA Swimming is doing the witch hunt? Remember that ALL of us make up USA Swimming. So out of the 400,000+ people in USA Swimming, WHO is conducting the witch hunt.
The bottom line is that several different layers of volunteer panels… Read more »
Volunteer – Have you actually witnessed or read the transcripts of the National Board of Review hearings and the subsequent Board of Directors appeals? You would be shocked at how disgraceful USA Swimming, their panels, their lawyers, their so called investigators all conduct things. I know of USA Swimming insiders who have told the accused to not bother fighting it because you won’t win even if you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that an accusation is false. You all are paying annual dues to the swimming mafia. They want you gone then you are gone.
When did these accusations occur, and what is the recourse for individuals who lie ?? We need to teach our children about the legal system of this country and remind the powers to be of USA swimming, that he said, she said, does not prove guilt or innocence.
>I do worry that I could do everything right as a coach, get falsely accused for a multitude of reasons, and be banned for life with no recourse.
Fair enough. That should be on mind of every coach. But, how many cases do we know of where a female athlete falsely accused a coach of sexual misconduct?
Psychodad- to your question of how many cases do we know of where an athlete falsely accused a coach, there is no definitive answer. I can tell you though, that when I was a swimmer my USA coach was accused of an inappropriate relationship with a teenage female swimmer, this was before athlete protection was in place, he was promptly fired from the team he founded as well as his job as the head coach of my country club team a post he had held for 25 years. He was already eccentric and most people just wrote it off that he was a scum bag too. Then about a month later the female swimmer was admitted to a mental hospital… Read more »
I honestly do not know anything about the specifics of this case other than what I have read on SwimSwam. I will admit to being worried about the process of investigation and evaluation of evidence procedure. I believe that USA Swimming has a responsibility to be ultra vigilant about ANY instance of potential wrong doing in regards to coach/swimmer incidents. That being said false accusations accrue, just a fact. I do not know what occurred in this specific instance. I do worry that I could do everything right as a coach, get falsely accused for a multitude of reasons, and be banned for life with no recourse.
I think you said it best, “I honestly do not know anything about the specifics of this case”.
I don’t have all the specifics either, but as a former USA Swimming coach, why would I or anyone else for that matter want to work with or in USA Swimming after something like this? The consequences are too great to risk your entire life and career because of an allegation. Which is too bad, because USA Swimming needs good coaches.I hope Jack is able to find legal recourse on this matter.
You do not have all the specifics, yet, you are sure he is innocent.
As a man and the father of a son (and a daughter) who swims, I’m shocked that, in the eyes of USA swimming, we are all probably guilty as accused unless proven innocent. USA Swimming’s reaction to accusations mimics that currently seen on college campuses, where the accused have no access to constitutional due process. What gives these autonomous fiefdoms the right to exact their own unconstitutional brand of kangaroo court justice? How many lives will be destroyed by vindictive individuals who now wield all the power? Wake up! It’s only a matter of time before your husband, father, son, or friend are accused of something they didn’t do, and–because you can’t prove a negative–are banned from the sport FOR… Read more »