Update: USA Diving says that Mead hasn’t been a member since 2013, but that they are “reviewing the case.” Mead, who was primarily a diving coach, was a USA Swimming member in 2015 when the offenses outlined below happened, which means that despite being a diving coach, she was more recently a member of USA Swimming than USA Diving.
Former Towson diving coach Maureen Mead has been banned for life by USA Swimming, the organization announced on Monday.
Mead pleaded guilty earlier this month to two charges of visual surveillance and altering evidence and was sentenced to 3 months of probation in a Maryland court. The charges stemmed from an incident where Maureen’s phone was found recording inside of the Towson women’s locker room.
While Mead was Towson’s diving coach, and the 2015 CAA Men’s Diving Coach of the Year, her USA Swimming membership was revoked. We requested comment from USA Diving. though the media relations staff is travelling to the FINA World Cup in Brazil and didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment.
After the accusations first came out, Mead was put on an administrative leave by the university, and her employment was later terminated.
Mead was banned under three sections of the most current USA Swimming Code of Conduct:
305.3.4 Violation of any of the Athlete Protection Policies set forth in Article 305
304.3.19 Any other material and intentional act, conduct or omission not provided for above, which is detrimental to the image or reputation of USA Swimming, a LSC or the sport of swimming.
305.3 Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone camera, is not allowed in
changing areas, rest rooms or locker rooms.
Her employment at Towson ended November 24th, and while a spokesperson has said she did not resign, said that no further details were available on what he called a “personnel matter.”
After the incident, all three of Towson’s coaches (Mead, Mead’s husband and head coach Pat Mead, and assistant coach Adrienne Phillips) were placed on leave soon after the incident, and both Phillips and Pat Mead resigned December 31st. Jake Shrum, a former assistant, is now the acting head coach and Tim Perkins is the acting diving coach.
Ban her husband, Pat Mead, as well. He was complicit and a part of altering the evidence. The swimmers they violated testified at her sentencing about the trauma they have endured with the knowledge that knowing a trusted adult filmed them as they changed from street clothes to bathing suits. 3 months of probation and then her record is expunged is a miscarriage of justice for the young women who had their rights, body and privacy violated. Disgusting.