If Allegations Against U.S. Speedskating’s Andy Gabel Are True, They Are Crimes – Not Just ‘Crossing That Line’
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December 16, 2014by Irvin Muchnick
As we resume our examination of the U.S. Speedskating (USS) eggshell walk on the legacy of legendary skater (and former organization president) Andy Gabel, it is important, as always, to parse inapt rhetorical distinctions and speak in plain English.
Skater Bridie Farrell has alleged, without real refutation, that Gabel molested her at age 15. So does skater Nikki Ziegelmeyer, in near carbon-copy detail. (See the definitive article in Marie Claire magazine, http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/news/a8481/skating-for-justice/.)
USS won’t act on the request of complainants to kick Gabel out of the Hall of Fame and ban him from future membership following his voluntary resignation “for the good of the sport.”
Gabel told the Chicago Tribune, “Looking back on it now, I understand that my conduct nearly 20 years ago, and longer, was still inappropriate. I’ve apologized publicly for that, and I am sorry for crossing that line.”
He also has said he “displayed poor judgment in a brief and inappropriate relationship with a female teammate.”
Regarding Ziegelmeyer – whose accusation upped the ante from “a” female teammate, Gabel told the Associated Press, “I never forced myself on any individual, and any allegations of that nature are absolutely false. Any relationship I had was consensual.”
But the purpose of statutory rape law is the concept that sex between an adult male and a 15-year-old young woman is, by definition, not consensual.
PREVIOUSLY:
Swimming’s Chuck Wielgus Stands Fully Exposed As a Cover-Up Creep – But Whatever Happened to Speedskating Hall of Famer Andy Gabel?
Published December 1st, 2014
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Speedskating’s Andy Gabel Has a Playbook For Sex Abuse Accusers: Threaten to Sue Them
Published December 2nd, 2014
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U.S. Speedskating’s Andy Gabel Decision Shows How Molesters in That Sport, As in Swimming, Continue to Roam Free
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