USA Swimming has sent a letter to its members reiterating its commitment to protecting athletes in response to reports that the organization had failed to address hundreds of sexual abuse cases over the past few decades.
“USA Swimming does not tolerate sexual abuse or misconduct,” CEO Tim Hinchey said in the letter, “and I assure you that this organization is facing this extremely serious issue with one very clear goal – protecting children and athletes.”
Hinchey said that USA Swimming “disagree[s] on several of the reported statements and many of the conclusions in recent media reports,” but went on to admit that USA Swimming members had been failed.
“Members were failed, and we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again,” Hinchey said, going on to encourage USA Swimming members to report suspicious activity to USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program.
The statement doesn’t address any of the specifics of the Southern California News Group report, which echoed much of our own reporting about the organization’s failure to take action against allegedly abusive coaches, but does signal a response by USA Swimming to our multiple inquiries for comment on the matter.
The full letter from Hinchey is below:
Dear USA Swimming Family,
In light of recent media coverage, I would like to provide some perspective on the very important subject matter discussed and the commentary surrounding USA Swimming’s Safe Sport efforts.
Let me be clear: USA Swimming does not tolerate sexual abuse or misconduct, and I assure you that this organization is facing this extremely serious issue with one very clear goal – protecting children and athletes.
Every day we work hard to get better as an organization. We are never complacent. We want to listen and to hear from you. We are rightfully held to a high standard by our membership and our peers, and we will continue to work tirelessly to educate members, put policies in place, and empower clubs to create the best possible environments for all members.
We will not shy away from acknowledging or supporting survivors of abuse, and we will strive to ensure that there is never a lapse of a support system again. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with survivors, the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, and law enforcement to hold wrongdoers accountable and remove them from our organization.
While we disagree on several of the reported statements and many of the conclusions in recent media reports, members were failed, and we are doing everything we can to make sure it never happens again.
Our system of uncovering sexual abuse is not flawless, but it has enabled USA Swimming to detect and prosecute members who have engaged in this misconduct. Every year we have endeavored to make our sport safer for our athletes and other members than the year before. Since 2010, USA Swimming has created a leading Safe Sport program with key resource materials for members, updated its Code of Conduct, mandated abuse prevention training, and created a public list of individuals banned for sexual misconduct-related violations in a
continued effort to identify and remove offenders from the sport. This is and will be an on-going process that has our full commitment.
The key aspect to the success of the Safe Sport program is for every member to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity that might be a violation of our Code of Conduct. We simply cannot assume that those being abused will voluntarily come forward, even if given the opportunity to do so in a confidential manner.
In order to be successful, it will require your active participation. Working together we can strive to completely eradicate sexual abuse from our organization.
For information on USA Swimming’s Safe Sport program visit: https://www.usaswimming.org/talkingaboutsafesport
To report concerns to the U.S. Center for Safe Sport at: https://safesport.org/report-a-concern.
As an organization we can do more, and we will continue to do more with your valued feedback, guidance, and involvement.
Sincerely,
Tim Hinchey III
USA Swimming President and CEO
actions of individuals are disturbing. The weak response by USA swimming…have no words.
The narrative USA swimming is using around the resignation of the two administrators is dishonest at best. These two individuals should not have been allowed to step away with accolades and glowing review. USA swimming administration just does not get it. Enabling child abusers, covering up, obstructing justice, circumventing justice will no longer be tolerated. Everyone who was the party to this and allowed this to happen needs to leave USA swimming immediately. Too many swim families, too many victims, too many whistleblowers have had their lives dramatically affected, first by a perpetrator,then by USA Swimming’s defensive insurance evidence gathering victim suppression scam aka “safe sport” . In my opinion USA swimming has grossly neglected the child membership of this… Read more »
He Gone. Just a matter of time
Susan Woessner just resigned. She admitted that she kissed Sean Hutchinson in 2007 and then failed to disclose it before contributing to an investigation of him.
Hogan? Unger? Zaleski? Neuberger? Stratton? The lawyers involved in the financial malfeasance scandal that’s about to come out? Drain the swamp!
oh good. I think we all can breathe a sigh of relief now.
Ahh ahaha! That all you got, Tim? How about cleaning house??
A lol’ed at the email with the letter. How about show some backbone and answer specific questions in an interview. Keep hiding USA swimming
“While we disagree on several of the reported statements and many of the conclusions in recent media reports”
Glad they addressed those specifics!!
Bring on the purge like at USA Gymnastics. Get rid of all the highly paid headquarters executives who turned a blind eye to the abuse for years.
This is absolutely nothing like USA Gymnastics. The vast majority of the cases they are talking about happened back in the 1970’s and ’80’s, with not-so-veiled references to Mitch Ivey and Rick Curl. Yes, it was pretty terrible back then, but the people at USA Swimming now had nothing to do do with that. In the last decade or so they have been trying to root out as many of the pervs as they can and have them banned. They flat out asked Kukors and her family about her relationship and they all denied it. What were they supposed to do? Harass her? Bully her into a confession? What? If they tried to take action without a complaint from her,… Read more »