Florida’s Nova Southeastern University is Playing Dumb with Serious Questions about the Campus Presence of Swim Coach Abuser Alex Pussieldi
June 12, 2026Why the Current Reckoning in an Irish Courtroom Should Be So Much More Than the Latest Abuse Trial of the Century
June 23, 2026by Irvin Muchnick
“Former sports coach accused of sexually abusing four girls in 1970s and 1980s ‘exploited his position of authority’, court hears”, Irish Independent, https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/former-sports-coach-accused-of-sexually-abusing-four-girls-in-1970s-and-1980s-exploited-his-position-of-authority-court-hears/a/157671521.html
The link above (behind a paywall), is part of the first round of local coverage. I’ll proceed to summarize it – but, first, a word about my own, remote form of coverage from America.
I need to explain to Concussion Inc. readers, with unfortunate crypticism, that I yesterday made the difficult, but I believe correct, call to semi-gag myself during the pendency of the trial. I did so in full awareness that, unlike my Irish news media brethren, I am armed with a non-trivial tool called the First Amendment; that I strenuously dissent from the notion that my small corner of cyberspace is capable of compromising the integrity of the trial; and that in any event I don’t understand why – with or without a First Amendment, plus the non-global scope of his jurisdiction, making his job more difficult – the judge can’t simply sequester the jurors to shield them from potentially prejudicial information.
I will tell the whole story at a later date. For now, the Independent reports that a 79-year-old “former sports coach who is accused of sexually abusing four girls up to 55 years ago ‘exploited his position of authority’ in relation to children ‘entrusted in his care’, his trial has heard.”
The trial’s first day included testimony by one of the four female complainants, against whom “offences are alleged to have occurred in various locations in the State on dates between 1971 and 1981 when the complainants were aged between 10 and 15 years old, the court heard.”
“The man pleaded guilty before the jury to a further five counts of indecently assaulting” this particular complainant “on dates between May and September 1976,” but otherwise has pleaded not guilty to scores of charges supported by the four women’s testimony.
What additional logs do I have to throw onto this fire at this point? You’re invited to read on in the next post, which will be up shortly.
