Three years after Chris Medvedeff resigned as the head diving coach at the University of Akron following accusations of secretly filming female students in the school’s recreation center, the U.S. Center for SafeSport has suspended the 56-year-old for one year.
Medvedeff was charged with first-degree misdemeanor voyeurism in 2020, but prosecutors later dismissed the charge without prejudice, meaning it can be refiled. Now he’ll be ineligible to coach until April 10, 2024, with his suspension dating back to April 11 of this year.
Medvedeff allegedly videotaped and photographed seven women between the ages of 18 and 22 without their knowledge between October 2019 and February 2020. According to USA Today, he resigned in March 2020 one day after he was suspended by Akron and placed under investigation by the university.
In SafeSport’s disciplinary database, he’s listed for “Sexual Misconduct; Sexual Harassment” with “Electronic Device Restriction(s), No Contact Directive(s).”
Medvedeff was hired by Akron in 1998 and was the only head diving coach in the history of the program until October 2020, when Marc Calhane was named as the program’s new head diving coach.
Wow…. no consistency with SafeSport. Former coaches at Towson University, Maureen Mead and Patrick Mead got a lifetime ban for the same thing. No wonder SafeSport is taken as a joke when there is no consistency. USA Swimming needs to enforce stronger consequences and be consistent. You say it is for the Athletes, but really is it?
While full details in this case aren’t quite clear, it doesn’t appear as though the Akron coach’s recording was done in the locker room (and the fact that the suspension is shorter, and charges were dropped, implies it wasn’t).
The Meads recorded in the locker room. That’s obviously a much more severe infraction.
What a creep
One year?!?! Puts him right back behind the camera next April!
when did filming become illegal????…….was it in the locker room???…….not a good look…..
In Ohio it’s illegal to videotape someone without their consent. Took me all of 15 seconds on Google to learn this
Please tell me that you don’t think that there is any scenario where is it not incredibly creepy for a coach to secretly film athletes.
Even if it wasn’t illegal in Ohio (which it is), something doesn’t have to be illegal to suspend/ban someone from coaching.
Never a good look to film anyone without their consent…especially when there is a power dynamic, swim suits etc. Absolutely disgusting.