Read It Now — Swimming Philanthropist Dia Rianda’s Lawsuit Against Olympic Coach Mark Schubert for Wrongful Termination and Retaliation
September 17, 2012USA Swimming Hopes Rick Curl Hearing on Swimmer Abuse and Payoff Is a Tree Falling in the Forest
September 18, 2012
This blog has been reporting all day that Dia Rianda sued Hall of Fame swimming coach Mark Schubert for “wrongful termination in violation of public policy,” ” breach of contract,” and “retaliation.”
In a conference call with a pool of five reporters, including myself, Rianda, a founding member of the USA Swimming Foundation, was asked how much money she and her husband had given to the organization over the years. She estimated “in excess of $100,000,” plus multiples of that sum in in-kind donations.
Here’s what the lawsuit complaint says about her knowledge of Schubert’s knowledge of Rick Curl’s abuse of Kelley Davies-Currin:
Early in 2011, Schubert confided to Rianda in a “heart-to-heart discussion” that “a swim coach named Rick Curl was sexually abusing an athlete and that the swimmer developed an eating disorder and other emotional problems.” This referred to the late 1980s, when Schubert was coach of the women’s swimming team at the University of Texas.
The complaint continues:
“Plaintiff asked him what he did for her and he responded that he did nothing since her problems were ‘too big’ and it would take away from the team so he decided not to help her in the interest of the other swimmers. Schubert confessed, ‘I feel so guilty that I did not help her, when she asked me for help.’ Stunned, plaintiff asked him why didn’t you go to law enforcement or child protective services, to which Schubert replied, ‘It was too late, the statute of limitations had run out, I didn’t know what to do, but I called [USA Swimming executive director] Chuck Wielgus. I asked him what he was going to do about Rick Curl.’ Plaintiff then pleaded with Schubert to do the right thing and report it to law enforcement immediately. With resignation, Schubert responded, ‘I tried, but they [USA Swimming and Chuck Wielgus] wouldn’t listen.'”
Subsequently, as part of his own $625,000 settlement with USA Swimming, Schubert promised that:
“he would not publicly speak about any sexual abuse issues in general, including what he knew about Kelley Currin, Rick Curl and USA Swimming’s knowledge of same.”
FURTHER READING:
USA Swimming Convention OK’s Coach-Athlete Sex – And Media Rubber-Stamp USA Swimming
Journalist Tim Joyce With a Blockbuster on Coach Mark Schubert and USA Swimming’s Web of Deceit on Sex Abuse
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Rick Curl and Mark Schubert Cases Lead Parents and Media to Trough of USA Swimming Sex Abuse and Cover-Up. Will They Take a Sip?
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Read It Now – Swimming Philanthropist Dia Rianda’s Lawsuit Against Olympic Coach Mark Schubert for Wrongful Termination and Retaliation
Irv Muchnick