Former U.S. National Team head coach Mark Schubert says he reported rumors of an inappropriate relationship between coach Sean Hutchison and Olympic athlete Ariana Kukors to the head coach of the FAST swim club in 2010.
Schubert says he heard rumors from a fellow coach “from back East” that Hutchison was engaging in a sexual relationship with one of his athletes, the then-21-year-old Kukors, who had been his pupil since the age of 13. Schubert was the U.S. National Team head coach through November of 2010, and a report from CBS Los Angeles says that Schubert was coaching at the Olympic Training Center in Fullerton when he heard the relationship rumors.
Schubert confirmed to SwimSwam on Saturday that he brought the rumors to the attention of Bill Jewell, who was the head coach and CEO of the Fullerton Area Swim Team (FAST), which included a professional training group that included Hutchison and Kukors. The CBS report says Jewell hired a private investigator, but the only evidence the PI could turn up was Hutchison and Kukors’ cars parked together at 5 AM in front of Hutchison’s condo.
Hutchison left the FAST program under a swirl of rumors in late 2010. Kukors went public this week with allegations that Hutchison began grooming her at age 13 and sexually abusing her at age 16. Kukors wrote a lengthy piece detailing her accusations, while Hutchison said the two had a consensual relationship and denied any abuse.
Schubert spoke to SwimSwam this week, saying he was upset with Jewell for allowing Hutchison to resign rather than pursuing a further investigation or reporting the matter to police.
“I was angry,” Schubert said. “I was angry at the time with Bill Jewell, who basically allowed [Hutchison] to resign.”
Jewell was eventually terminated by FAST, then hired by Schubert at the Golden West Swim Club. Another Golden West coach, Dia Rianda, sued Schubert for wrongful termination, claiming she was fired after complaining to USA Swimming about what she viewed as inappropriate behavior by Jewell. In 2013, Jewell himself was suspended by USA Swimming for three years for making sexually explicit comments toward athletes.
That lawsuit alleged that Schubert’s hiring of Jewell was part of a power-play to take control back of the club from Hutchison, and that he was paid $625,000 by USA Swimming to keep quiet about the Hutchison rumors. That lawsuit ended in a settlement,
USA Swimming said at the time that the “resolution of the relationship between Mark Schubert and USA Swimming absolutely did not involve any cover-up of alleged sexual misconduct by Sean Hutchison or any other person.” Instead, they said that the agreement did require Schubert to bring any future ‘reliable information’ involving a Code of Conduct violation to USA Swimming in writing and that he would testify at a National Board of Review proceeding. That $625,000 payout was ostensibly a resolution of Schubert’s contract as USA Swimming’s national team director.
When we spoke to him on Saturday, Schubert denied that he was the reporting coach that prompted USA Swimming’s 2010 investigation nor that USA Swimming ever asked him to drop the matter.
Schubert was also critical of USA Swimming’s capabilities in investigating abuse allegations. He says that he believes that USA Swimming only began investigating the relationship after allegations of an inappropriate athlete-coach relationship appeared in a Washington Post story in 2010 – that the national attention forced their hand. Schubert says he stopped pursuing the rumors when USA Swimming’s investigation cleared Hutchison.
“You know, today we’re educated,” he said. “Today we know that you go to the police. I don’t think you can trust USA Swimming to do the investigation, but back then we weren’t as educated on those things as we are now.”
USA Swimming has said it received a report of an inappropriate relationship between Hutchison and Kukors in 2010, but that both parties denied any sexual or romantic relationship. The swimming federation says this week’s allegations from Kukors marked the first time USA Swimming had heard allegations that Hutchison abused Kukors while she was still a minor.
Poor Coach Schubert him in need of more media attention. Being out of the limelight for a while must be hard on his EEEGGGOOO! But now that he is back…great things will happen…not!
This is insane that there is such a large number of people trying to justify what was going on between Kukors and her coach. I said this before, and I’ll say it again… the misconception is that it is okay for a coach, teacher, etc to pursue or have a sexual relationship with a “subordinate”… it is NOT OKAY!! if you are one of these people who thinks it is, please quit your job if you are in a position of power. It IS AGAINST the law. Also, please look up the legal definition of “grooming” because this whole situation would be a law school “textbook example”. Clearly there needs to be more education about this since apparently so many… Read more »
Fully agreed. This might operate in some legal grey area (age of consent, etc), but morally it is completely wrong and unethical. And as a larger swimming organization, USA Swimming should have brought the hammer down hard way back in 2010.
There is so much more to this story. Schubert in no way, shape or form is the “good guy” here but an opportunist who once-again helped himself to a situation that he felt he could take advantage of. This story has less to do with Kukors/Hutchison and more to do with trying to fix his morally bankrupt image. Here you go, enjoy! http://concussioninc.net/?p=7488
Just trying to save his own skin. I’ve never thought highly of Schubert from the things I’ve read, and this statement isn’t doing him any favors.
Sean resigned a great position and stopped coaching near the top of the coaching profession. That always seemed weird to me. As far as doing any more than allowing a resignation though — both parties, and you have to include Kukor’s parents somewhere in this discussion, said there was no inappropriate behavior. It must have seemed possible at the time that someone was jealous and wanted to topple a successful coach. It’s happened before. So I think blaming USA Swimming, blaming Mark, or even Bill, or the police, the investigator, etc. for not acting when no one was suing anyone or had real proof, seems odd too. Even now, a reasonable person has to allow that it could be hearsay.… Read more »
Steve, All well stated and thought out, however you are not taking into consideration a full understanding of the “art” of “grooming for sexual abuse”.
If you watched the CBS This Morning interview with Ariana today (available in another SwimSwam article posted today) and do even a minor attempt at researching “grooming for sexual abuse”, you would realize that the beginning steps in the “grooming for sexual abuse” process have absolutely NOTHING to do with “inappropriate behaviors” for a minor to report to their parent/guardian. In fact, the first steps are so subtle and non-inappropriate in nature, that many children actually do go home and tell their parents/guardians about the “neat”, “cool”, “fun”, etc things that the perpetrator did… Read more »
I don’t get it . A 21 year old in a relationship with an other adult is not a crime . That is all that was obvious in 2010 . I don’t see what would happen if he went to the police
Hullo is this the police?
Yes it is .
Well there are people I suspect of being in a relationship .
How old are they?
21 & 38 .
Are they related ?
No .
Is there any reason why they should not be in this relationship .?
They are swimmer & coach .
I don’t think that is against the law . We in California pride ourselves… Read more »
The police would investigate if anything untoward happened while she was underage, you fantastic moron.
(Sorry for the insult, but this is the worst – only? – troll account on Swim Swam and I can’t keep not responding.)
Hullo . This is the state of California in which lies Hollywood , the Mecca of film , Tv , showbiz & music industry . How many police would it take to investigate every adult relationship where cars were parked together at 5am & whereby the ppl inside may have had contact pre 16 ?
I am enjoying this outbreak of puritanical outrage & hope it spreads . Keep up the good work Steve.
When they investigate the Mormon & Scientology couples , I want a seat on the bus . I’ll bring caramel pop corn .
Oh, I see what you did there “Sum Ting Wong”…so clever. Not sure which is worse, your ignorance on “what’s wrong” or your no so subtle racism.
You leave out the key fact that the guy started coaching her when she was 13. Now go back to the cops and see if they are interested
Then that would be a matter for Washington State not California .
So coaching her at 13 is a crime? It’s fairly clear that the relationship (physical) didn’t start until she was an adult (in the state of WA).
I don’t know if it’s that clear. How would you know without an investigation? It would be their job to gather evidence and turn it over to the DAs office to see if there had been any crimes committed. The issue has been raised that the coaching relationship made the physical relationship at 16 a felony. I have no idea it’s probably a difficult case to try to get a conviction unless the cell phone or email records are found with some damning evidence.
Im fairly certain because Arianna admitted that the physical relationship started at 16 in her statement.
looks like this would qualify as Sexual misconduct with a minor – first degree, which is a class C felony and can get you up to five years in prison. “Applies when offender has sexual intercourse with victim at least 16 but under 18, offender is at least five years older than victim, offender is in a significant relationship to victim, and offender abuses a supervisory position within that relationship in order to engage in sexual intercourse with victim.” The situation checks all the boxes here.
https://www.ageofconsent.net/laws/washington/sexual-misconduct-with-a-minor-first-degree
Oops, nevermind, It would be second degree since intercourse didnt take place until she was 18. second degree is a gross misdemeanor and comes with up to a year in prison
Brilliant demonstration of USA swimming’s (moderator’s edit – poor) job educating our community about abuse of power relationships. Every other power relationship (professor, Doctor, religious leader, boss, lawyer, prison guard) has bright-line rules hammered into the community that all parties are aware of – AGE and CONSENT are irrelevant. Violating these standards leads to a loss of professional license …or at least a job. But you can’t see that because that’s a new idea. Susan Woessner’s job is to train this bright-line rule – but none of the respondents get it.
Unless Susan Woessner received much needed training, I wouldn’t count on her for anything. Back in 2010 and for several years thereafter, it was HELL dealing with Ms. Woessner and USA Swimming. Haven’t dealt with her in a few years so hopefully somebody provided her with the tools to do her JOB! A big problem at this time was that USA Swimming had barricades in place to protect their friends. Mary Jo Swalley was on the boards of USA Swimming and Socal Swimming. Jill Chasson (attorney for USA Swimming – board of review) is the wife of Mike Chasson (Board of Directors for FAST). Ed Duncan (attorney – for SOCAL board of reviews) was announcer for USC, former board member… Read more »
Sounds like a story of three creeps, Hutchinson being the worst, and Jewell and Schubert covering it up.
I wonder how Mission Viejo’s board and/or parent community is feeling about all of this…
The Nadadores have a history of protecting their accused coaches (https://www.ocregister.com/2012/03/26/sex-allegation-divides-powerhouse-swim-club/). Don’t think they will even give this much thought.