U.S. Safesport Centralized Disciplinary Database Includes 17 From Connecticut

Described as a “centralized, safe, and confidential place to report abuse and misconduct,” the U.S. Center for SafeSport maintains a Centralized Disciplinary Database. It is a resource designed to keep the public informed when individuals connected with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movements are either subject to certain temporary restrictions pending investigation by the Center or are subject to sanctions after an investigation found them in violation of the SafeSport Code.

That database includes the names of 17 individuals who are, or were, Connecticut residents when incidents occurred or disciplinary action was taken. The dates of issuance of official actions – ranging from permanent ineligibility to temporary suspension – are as recent as 2020 and 2019, while others date as far back as 1980. 

The individuals on the Disciplinary Database were coaches or other officials in sports including figure skating, gymnastics, hockey, swimming, diving, fencing, equestrian, track & field, tennis and bowling.

The misconduct of people included in the Disciplinary Database is described, in individual instances, as “sexual misconduct,” “physical & emotional misconduct,” or “criminal disposition involving a minor.” Those included in the database are prohibited from participating in any activities and competitions that the adjudicating bodies in the various sports licenses, endorses, or sponsors.

The Centralized Disciplinary Database can be accessed at https://uscenterforsafesport.org/response-and-resolution/centralized-disciplinary-database/

The U.S. Congress designated the U.S. Center for SafeSport with the authority to respond to reports of sexual misconduct within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement by passing the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. The organization, according to its website, “provides services to sport entities on abuse prevention techniques, policies and programs. It serves as a professional and confidential place for 14 million athletes, coaches, and other participants in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to report sexual abuse.”

The legislation, also known as S.534, designates the Center to serve as the independent national safe sport organization, with the additional responsibility for the Center to develop national policies and procedures to prevent the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes.

Through this legislation, the Center has the exclusive authority to respond to allegations of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct within the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement. It also allows the Center to have discretionary jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis over any other forms of misconduct, including bullying, harassment, and physical and emotional abuse.

SafeSport Code for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, III.A.4, Bylaw 10.14(b)", for example, states "It is a violation of the Code for a Covered Individual to be convicted of or subject to a Criminal Disposition for a crime involving (a) any form of sexual misconduct or (b) a Minor."

The Connecticut communities in which the incidents occurred, or the person listed resided, include Cheshire, Coventry, Enfield, Fairfield, Greenwich, Meriden, Milford, New Milford, Niantic, Norwalk, Simsbury, and Watertown.

Information pre-dating the creation of the Center on March 3, 2017 has been sourced from various National Governing Bodies or other relevant organizations, the website points out: “The Center did not adjudicate the underlying allegations and has limited knowledge of the associated policies and procedures applied to discipline the individual in question. Therefore, the Center cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information included from these sources and all the above admonitions, disclaimers, and limitations apply.”

In 2020, Congress passed The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act, which the organization’s CEO said “substantially strengthens the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s independence and ability to pursue our mission of ending abuse in sport. This law ensures the millions of athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement can continue to have a centralized, safe, and confidential place to report abuse and misconduct. Seeing legislators on both sides of the aisle wholeheartedly support this measure is proof positive that athlete safety is a universal and undeniable priority.” Co-sponsor of the legislation was U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

The U.S. Center for Safesport website provides a means for individuals to report “if you have experienced abuse or misconduct—or if you have reasonable suspicion of abuse or misconduct inflicted on, or by, someone in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.” The site provides a link to a secure reporting form at safesport-i.sight.com/portal.

“Above all else, we at the Center are grateful to and inspired by the athletes who courageously shared their experiences with the world and brought the need for our work into clear focus,” said Ju’Riese Colón, Chief Executive Officer. “Every day, we wake up driven by our desire to ensure that no athlete should ever again endure what they endured.”