WIVB in Buffalo, New York, is reporting on an alleged incident involving inappropriate electronic messages between a coach at STAR Swimming and a teenager on the team. According to the WIVB report, which cites a letter that was said to have been sent by the club to its families, parents of a teenager on STAR found inappropriate texts and emails on the child’s phone from one of the team’s coaches. The parents reported their findings to the club and to the local police. STAR apparently responded by “suspending [the coach’s] employment” and barring him from access to the club’s property, to the Erie Community College (ECC) practice facility, and to any place the team might be gathered for an event.
Meanwhile, according to the report, the police are investigating but have yet to find any evidence of inappropriate physical contact between the coach and the teenager, nor have they found inappropriate photos.
In addition, the board of STAR Swimming is said to have reported the incident to USA Swimming’s Safe Sport personnel, who are now conducting their own investigation.
It is important to remember that there have not yet been any charges of wrongdoing filed against anyone. SwimSwam will provide updates when more information becomes available.