Scandals at Michael Phelps’ North Baltimore Aquatic Club Are Not Fit to Print in the ‘Alternative’ City Paper
USA Swimming’s ‘Complex’ Problem of Letting Alcoholic Rapists and Con Men Coach Kids, and Hiring the Owner of ‘HookingUpWithTawnieLynn.com’ To Design Its Background Check System
August 6, 2013(I) Not Fit to Print in the Baltimore City Paper — WBAL Radio Censors, Tries to Silence Reporter Tim Joyce
August 6, 2013by Irvin Muchnick
Thanks for Van Smith’s account of the settlement of the “John Doe” lawsuit against me over my coverage of a disputed February 2012 incident at a North Baltimore Aquatic Club practice at the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center. USA Swimming’s investigation of the incident continues.
Now that City Paper has acknowledged that controversial events of some sort happened at the home of Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman’s club, I suggest that you forge on with the story of sex abuse and other scandals in this major capital of the beleaguered USA Swimming, now under Congressional and FBI scrutiny. At my website ConcussionInc.net, you can find thorough coverage of these topics:
* WBAL Radio last year disappeared its own series on sex abuse in swimming by my colleague Tim Joyce, after Joyce started zeroing in on allegations against NBAC founder Murray Stephens. Joyce’s original report (which didn’t name Stephens, though Concussion Inc. soon would) led to Stephens’ departure as the face of the club. But not his departure — he continues, as owner of the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center, to collect scores of thousands of dollars a month in NBAC pool rental fees.
* After reporting that “a” coach at NBAC had been so accused, the Baltimore Sun failed to add that Baltimore County police claimed to me to have lost a report on all this by USA Swimming. Due to “the pasage of time” — less than two years.
* Last year two students at the McDonogh School in Owings Mills were quietly expelled on computer theft charges. The students were two of several who also swim, or used to swim, at NBAC and were at the center of the clique of bullies and harassers of the alleged victim in the February 2012 incident underlying the lawsuit against me. The bullying and harassment both preceded and succeeded the incident itself. Murray Stephens is a major benefactor of McDonogh and his wife is a trustee there. No one at McDonogh will comment on why Stephens, who is unofficially banned from being seen on the deck at his own aquatic center, has been allowed on the deck at the McDonogh natatorium to coach his son.
* Jill Chasson, chair of the USA Swimming National Board of Review, which hears sexual misconduct allegations, recently resigned after I reported that, as NBAC Olympic swimmer Jill Johnson, she had had an underage relationship with her coach John Cadigan, now Bowman’s chief assistant.
* Multiple sources confirm that no lifeguard was in sight at an outdoor practice pool on the morning of October 28, 2012, when 14-year-old NBAC swimmer Louis Lowenthal drowned at Meadowbrook. Analysis of the autopsy report aligns with accounts that Lowenthal was not pulled from the water until many minutes after he was stricken. Meadowbrook’s incident report to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — first released in redacted form before I pursued a state public information act appeal — was filed late and included questionable representations.
February 2012 Incident at Bob Bowman and Michael Phelps’ North Baltimore Aquatic Club Remains Under Investigation by USA Swimming
Teammate of Alleged Victim in February 2012 North Baltimore Aquatic Club Incident Confronted Coach Over Continued Harassment — Coach Threatened to Throw Him Off Team
More on Harassment of the Alleged Victim Prior to the Disputed 2012 North Baltimore Aquatic Club Incident
Words of Michael Phelps’ Coach, Bob Bowman, to the Mother of the Alleged Victim in the February 2012 North Baltimore Aquatic Club Incident
Below, again: full text of the consent order in Doe v. Muchnick.
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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