USA Swimming Mislabels Rick Curl’s Expulsion Crimes — And Cowardly Media Play Along

Twenty-four hours after USA Swimming banned Rick Curl for life, the theme of double-talk and denial persists both from Colorado Springs and from most of the media reporting the development.

Look closely at the USA Swimming addition of Curl to the banned list, and you will see that the grounds are not sexual misconduct, but rather that he brought “disrepute to the Corporation.” Only one other person on the banned list was expelled for this count. Here’s the full text:

“450.1 GENERAL – As herein set forth, the Corporation may censure, suspend for a definite or indefinite period of time with or without terms of probation, or expel any member of the Corporation, including any athlete, coach, manager, official, member of any committee, or any person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs of the Corporation, who has violated any of its rules or regulations, or who aids, abets, and encourages another to violate any of its rules or regulations, or who has acted in a manner which brings disrepute upon the Corporation or upon the sport of swimming. The Corporation may also conduct hearings on any matter affecting the Corporation as the national governing body for swimming.”

Meanwhile, the euphemism of choice in media accounts is that Curl had “an inappropriate relationship” with a swimmer. What a slap in the face to Kelley Davies-Currin and all victims of statutory rape — which is exactly the legal and moral term for what Curl did to her from when she was 13 years old.

Our leading news organs seem willing to label Curl like ole Bill Clinton, and Davies Currin like the frisky intern Monica Lewinsky, and leave it at that.

Shameful.

For the record, here again are the acts Curl acknowledged in his $150,000 “non-disclosure agreement” in 1989:

* Curl “knowingly and intentionally abused his position of trust by sexually molesting and exploiting” Davies-Currin on repeated occasions.

* February 1984: When Davies-Currin was 14, Curl committed cunnilingus on her at her home.

* April 1984: Another act of cunnilingus.

* April 19, 1986: Intercourse and other sex acts.

* August 1986: Intercourse and other sex acts while at a swimming meet in Mission Viejo, California.

Irv Muchnick