University of Texas Hires of Head Swimming Coach Bob Bowman and Assistant Erik Posegay Trigger Look Back at Michael Phelps’s North Baltimore Aquatic Club

by Irvin Muchnick

Bob Bowman, well known as the coach of Michael Phelps, history’s greatest ever Olympic swimmer, has jumped from Arizona State University to the University of Texas. Bowman succeeds the retiring long-time coach there, Eddie Reese. Bowman has named as his top assistant Erik Posegay, director of USA Swimming’s junior team.

The months leading up to the Paris Olympics – right after which, my UNDERWATER: The Greed-Soaked Tale of Sexual Abuse in USA Swimming will be published – afford opportunities to reflect on the involvement in the book’s narrative of major figures in the swim coaching world. Bowman and Posegay have roles, especially in Chapter 8, entitled “Michael Phelps’s Home Team.”

Some connections to UNDERWATER are orthogonal – see the finalization of the federal government’s $139 million settlement with the survivors of the spectacularly abusive USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, for the FBI’s botching of the Nassar investigation: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/04/23/larry-nassar-settlement-doj-fbi-139-million/73426093007/.

Bowman’s and Posegay’s, connections are more direct. For one thing, Bowman is set to serve as the French Olympic coach at the upcoming Paris Games – a reminder that he has long been a beneficiary of lucrative international gigs first arranged by the infamous Dale Neuburger, then a principal of TSE Consulting of Indianapolis and a USA Swimming and FINA international swimming governance lord of the rings.

Bowman (who succeeded North Baltimore Aquatics Club founder and coach Murray Stephens, who was disappeared from his emeritus image in the swimming pantheon following a sex scandal) and Posegay both acquitted themselves poorly in the episode, first reported at this site in 2013, of the disgusting athlete-on-athlete bullying,harassment,and inappropriate under-surface touching of a swimmer who was on the autism spectrum.

NBAC management did little or nothing to take ownership of the problem, much less curtail it. The likely reason was that one of the bullies belonged to a powerful club family: his brother was a top Olympic prospect, his mother a Maryland Swimming muck-a-muck.

When the abused swimmer’s mother complained to Bowman, he wrote to her: “We will not be held to your standard of moral superiority nor those of any other single member. NBAC is not a public school or institution. It is a private club whose members choose to join and participate and are also free to choose to join another organization if the program does not meet their personal needs.”

Posegay was supervising on the pool deck when one of his swimmers complained vociferously about the merciless taunting of the victim, after witnessing it in real time. Posegay’s action? He disciplined the complainer – for yelling at the coach.

Posegay (who eventually succeeded Bowman as NBAC head coach) came to Baltimore from Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he ran the programs at Parkland High School and Parkland Aquatic Club. Until parents learned about her history and made a fuss, Posegay took on Marie Labosky as an assistant. Labosky was on the rebound from a stint at the iconic Germantown Academy outside Philadelphia; there she produced a wildly inappropriate, social media-circulated pool party video in which, among other things, male swimmers were directed to pole-dance, (Her coaching career in ruins, Labosky became a sales rep for Speedo.)

As I do going forward whenever I report on the athlete-on-athlete abuse scenario in Baltimore, I reproduce here in full a related federal court consent order that ended litigation against me. The full text is at the bottom of this post.

CONSENT ORDER

Minor Plaintiff, John Doe, through his parents, James and Jane Doe (collectively referred to as “Plaintiff”), and his counsel, Anne T. McKenna and Andrew C. White, filed the above-captioned lawsuit against Defendants, Irvin Muchnick and Concussion, Inc. (“Defendants”). Plaintiff brought this action against Defendants as a result of blog and Internet posts made by Defendants concerning an alleged incident during a North Baltimore Aquatic Club practice that was held at Meadowbrook Swim Club in Baltimore City, Maryland, in February 2012 (hereinafter referred to as “the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident”).

Plaintiff’s Complaint asserts the following claims against Defendants: defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, constructive fraud, and violation of 47 U.S.C.A. § 231; simultaneously with the filing of the Complaint, Plaintiff also moved for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. On May 13, 2013, Judge Richard Bennett of the U.S. District Court for Maryland heard oral argument on Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, and on May 14, 2013, Judge Bennett entered an Order which, by agreement of the parties, has remained in effect until today’s date. Subsequent to May 13, 2013, hearing, Defendants retained counsel, Mark I. Bailen and Laurie A. Babinski, and the law firm of BakerHostetler.

By agreement of the parties and the Court, a hearing date was set on Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction of June 25, 2013. Prior to that hearing, however, the parties agreed to resolve this matter pursuant to entry of this consent Order and the terms contained herein.

Accordingly, the following IS HEREBY ORDERED, this 15th day of July 2013:

1. This Order and all its terms shall apply to Irvin Muchnick, Tim Joyce and any other individual associated with Concussioninc.net or any individual working on behalf of or at the direction of Irvin Muchnick; and for purposes of this Order, the terms “Defendants” shall encompass all such persons;

2. Defendants shall not publish in any format, whether written, spoken, or posted online, the following:

a) Any and all references to the real name of the minor Plaintiff, John Doe, in any correlation whatsoever with the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident that underlies the allegations in the above-captioned case;

b) Any and all references that discuss the details of any investigation by any Maryland government agencies or Maryland police departments of the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident, though references to the fact that the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident was reported to any Maryland government agencies or Maryland police departments and the disposition thereof are permissible;

c) any and all references to which information or records relating to the Minor Plaintiff John Doe may be in the possession of any Maryland government agencies or Maryland police departments involved in investigating the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident;

d) Any and all references that would identify by real name the minor, John Doe, as Plaintiff in the above-captioned matter;

e) Any discussions of the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident that refer to the matter as a “sexual assault” or otherwise state that:

• Any criminal activity occurred;
• Plaintiff’s conduct or any other minor’s conduct was in any way criminal
• Plaintiff’s conduct was in any way tortious

3.In no way does this Order restrict or preclude Defendants from publishing any other matters in connection with NBAC, USA Swimming, or other such matters that do not pertain to the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident, or that do pertain to the alleged February 2012 NBAC incident but otherwise comply with the terms of this Consent Order;

4. Within ten (10) days of entry of this Consent Order, Plaintiff shall file a Voluntary Stipulation of Dismissal without Prejudice. This filing shall in no way preclude Plaintiff’s rights to refile this matter or bring an additional cause of action in the event Plaintiff believes that the terms of this Order are being or have been violated;

5. The parties agree that Defendants are permitted to publish the following statements regarding the above-captioned matter:

Plaintiff brought this action against Defendants as a result of blog and Internet posts made by Defendants concerning an alleged incident during North Baltimore Aquatic Club practice that was held at Meadowbrook Swim Club in Baltimore City, Maryland, in February 2012.

Plaintiff sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and filed a complaint asserting the following claims against Defendants: defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, constructive fraud, and violation of 47 U.S.C.A. § 231.

On May 13, 2013, Judge Richard Bennett of the U.S. District Court for Maryland heard oral argument on Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order; with the Court’s permission Defendant Muchnick appeared pro se via teleconference. During the Course of that hearing, Defendant Muchnick argued that the blog posts were speech protected by the First Amendment, but agreed to remove any and all references to the names of minors involved in the alleged February 2012 incident and all references suggesting that he had access to information or records in the possession of Maryland government agencies that were involved in investigating the alleged incident pending hearing on Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction.

On May 14, 2013, Judge Bennett entered an Order wherein he denied in part Plaintiff’s Request for a Temporary Restraining Order but specifically reserved all matters raised in Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order for the full hearing on the Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction. The Order further ordered the removal of the references described above as Defendant Muchnick had agreed pending the hearing on Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction. Subsequent to May 13, 2013, hearing, Defendants retained counsel, Mark I. Bailen and Laurie A. Babinski, and the law firm of BakerHostetler.

By agreement of the parties and the Court, a June 25, 2013 hearing date was set on Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction . By agreement of the parties and with the Court’s consent, the preliminary injunction hearing was continued while the parties attempted to reach settlement of plaintiff’s claims. Prior to a preliminary injunction hearing being held, the parties mutually agreed to resolve this matter by entry of a Consent Order.

6. Defendants are permitted to post unsealed public records of the above-captioned proceedings and Orders of this Court, provided they do so in a manner consistent with the terms of this Consent Order. However, Defendants may not post misrepresentative excerpts of the pleadings in this case. If Defendants publish excerpts, such publication should be accompanied by a link to the entire document.

7. Defendants will remove all publications, including Internet posts and social media platforms, and all content that are inconsistent with the terms of this Order.

So ordered this 15th day of July, 2013.

William D. Quarles, Jr.

United States District Judge