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Is the U.S. Center for SafeSport “ghosting” Sarah Ehekircher? No one from there has communicated with her since our May 29, May 31, and June 3 reports on the disgraceful way — effectively, the sting operation — by which the agency lured her into a meeting to discuss her complaint against swimming coach groomer-abuser Scott MacFarland. The center’s director of legal affairs, Michael Henry, not so coincidentally was an added last-minute attendee of the meeting, at which the investigator’s hostile interrogation of Ehekircher got recorded even though she didn’t have her own lawyer present.<\/span><\/p>\n But there’s good news, too: Liz Hahn, USA Swimming’s safe sport coordinator, called Ehekircher on behalf of CEO Tim Hinchey and scheduled a second Ehekircher-Hinchey-Hahn meeting to follow up on the one they held in Colorado Springs on May 1. This time, on June 25, lawyers will be there. For <\/span>both <\/span><\/i>sides.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, swimming released to Ehekircher the disputed transcript of the 2010 National Board of Review hearing at which MacFarland, outrageously, got exonerated, just months after the heavily hyped start-up of the safe sport program.<\/span><\/p>\n I’ve read the copy of the transcript Ehekircher shared with me, but I’m not going to publish it, at least not yet. Suffice to say that the document is extremely damning for USA Swimming, in addition to being a record of both a humiliating experience for the complainant and an unfairly conducted hearing of her complaint.<\/span><\/p>\n It is apparent that the whole session was driven and controlled by MacFarland’s lawyer. Ehekircher was not formally represented, as the swimming organization itself essentially replaced her as the complainant, and the group’s house counsel served as the “prosecutor” — and in so doing narrowly defined the potential conduct code violation against MacFarland in such a way that nothing at all wound up happening to him.<\/span><\/p>\n The transcript shows general procedural lapses that were prejudicial to Ehekircher, plus specific exchanges, wisecracks, and atmospherics that were way out of order.<\/span><\/p>\n There’s another reason not to publish the NBOR transcript: it barely scratches the surface of the records Ehekircher is seeking. Of greatest importance is the voluminous materials of information related to all things MacFarland — other swimmers, other coaches, witnesses on Ehekircher’s behalf who were left on the bench at the hearing — that got buried by USA Swimming and its fixer law firm, which now goes by the name Bryan Cave. MacFarland coached at various times under both the late Hall of Famer Jack Nelson, in Fort Lauderdale, and the subsequently defrocked head Olympic coach Mark Schubert, in Mission Viejo, California. (More shortly from here on the new bad publicity surrounding Schubert’s career of enabling abuse in his programs.)<\/span><\/p>\n These new Ehekircher developments come at a moment when Congressional investigations of Olympic sports program abuses are getting better. Though a recent hearing of the House Energy and Commerce oversight and investigations subcommittee proved disappointingly superficial, the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security — especially ranking Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — did much better at its hearing last week. Capitol Hill sources say the Congressional staffs of both legislative committees are well armed with information on the financial scandal at USA Swimming that underlies the sex scandals: the way the group shifted assets and used an offshore reinsurance operation to hide assets that were exposed to civil lawsuit abuse claims.<\/span><\/p>\n Let’s see what Ehekircher’s June 25 meeting brings.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE FULL SERIES<\/strong><\/p>\nSarah Ehekircher, Long-Time Coach, Tells of Her Youth Grooming and Abuse by Scott MacFarland, Her ‘Revictimization’ by USA Swimming’s 2010 Investigation, and Her Sexual Harassment by American Swimming Coaches Association Boss John Leonard<\/a><\/h2>\n
Sarah Ehekircher Describes the American Swimming Coaches Association’s John Leonard As the Boss From Hell – And a Creep and Sex Harasser to Boot<\/a><\/h2>\n
ASCA Boss John Leonard ‘Categorically Denies’ Sarah Ehekircher’s Sexual Harassment Allegations; Captive Swimming Industry Publication’s Article Also Smears Ehekircher and Concussion Inc.<\/a><\/h2>\n
What Sarah Ehekircher Says ASCA’s John Leonard Told Her About His Military Career – And What Leonard Said About It in a 2012 Deposition<\/a><\/h2>\n
USA Swimming Chief Chuck Wielgus’s Email Response to Hearing of Sarah Ehekircher’s Grooming and Abuse by Coach Scott MacFarland: ‘My Gosh … I Am Copying Our Legal Counsel …’<\/a><\/h2>\n
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Center for SafeSport Is Revisiting Sarah Ehekircher’s Complaint to USA Swimming That Coach James Scott MacFarland Groomed and Had Sex With Her Beginning When She Was 17<\/a><\/h2>\n
Congratulations to SwimSwam on Picking Up Our MacFarland-Ehekircher Coverage –<\/a><\/h2>\n
U.S. Center for SafeSport Must Carefully Shadow USA Swimming’s Disgraceful 2010 Hearing of Allegations Against James Scott MacFarland. First Stop: Pro-MacFarland Testimony From His Best Friend – ASCA Hall of Fame Coach Bob Gillett.<\/a><\/h2>\n
Houston Chronicle to Cover U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Reopening of USA Swimming’s Investigation of Sarah Ehekircher’s Grooming-Abuse Allegations Against Coach James Scott MacFarland<\/a><\/h2>\n
James Scott MacFarland – Accused Groomer-Abuser of Sarah Ehekircher – Is Scrubbed at Houston’s Magnolia Aquatic Club<\/a><\/h2>\n
Confusion Surrounds James Scott MacFarland’s Status at Houston’s Magnolia Aquatic Club in Wake of U.S. Center for SafeSport’s New Investigation of Sarah Ehekircher’s Grooming-Abuse Allegations<\/a><\/h2>\n
While the World Watches, Sarah Ehekircher’s Case and Others Move Forward at the U.S. Center for SafeSport<\/a><\/h2>\n
New SafeSport Center Probes Vague Charge Against Scott MacFarland; Abuse Victim Sarah Ehekircher Expresses Skepticism – Also Is Meeting With Congresswoman and USA Swimming Chief<\/a><\/h2>\n
Chris DeSantis on Sarah Ehekircher’s Upcoming Meeting With USA Swimming Chief Tim Hinchey<\/a><\/h2>\n
Scott MacFarland, Sarah Ehekircher’s Groomer-Abuser, Disappears From Website of Houston’s Magnolia Aquatic Club<\/a><\/h2>\n
Sarah Ehekircher’s Statement on Her Groomer\/Abuser Scott MacFarland’s Removal From the Magnolia Aquatic Club<\/a><\/h2>\n
Sarah Ehekircher’s Meeting With USA Swimming Chief Tim Hinchey Still Leaves an Impasse Over Release of the Flawed 2010 National Board of Review Transcript<\/a><\/h2>\n
Sarah Ehekircher, Who Just Got Scott MacFarland Booted From Swimming 30+ Years After He Groomed and Abused Her, Is Talking With Congressional Investigators About the Bigger Picture<\/a><\/h2>\n
Sarah Ehekircher Guest Column: ‘What I Would Say To Congress If I Were Testifying This Week’<\/a><\/h2>\n
U.S. Center for SafeSport Cons Sarah Ehekircher Into Meeting With Its Top Lawyer – Uses Other Despicable Tactics Straight Out of the Old USA Swimming Revictimization Playbook<\/a><\/h2>\n
U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Sandbagging of Abuse Complainant Sarah Ehekircher by Legal Affairs Director Michael Henry Should Blow Up This New Agency Without Further Ado<\/a><\/h2>\n