Twenty-seven Cal swimmers and 21 dad and mom of swimmers, in a letter to Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ, mentioned “widespread college management” for the reason that Nineteen Nineties “has did not take motion” on repeated and credible allegations that Golden Bears girls’s crew head coach Teri McKeever has bullied and abused athletes.
The letter, signed by Olympic medalists, NCAA champions and crew captains, and obtained by the Southern California Information Group, is in response to a university-commissioned investigation into McKeever, who has coached Cal to 4 NCAA crew championships. It additionally follows a number of complaints by present and former Cal swimmers that investigators haven't targeted on allegations that present Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton, Jennifer Simon-O’Neill, the athletic division’s senior girls’s administrator and longtime shut pal of McKeever’s, and former AD Sandy Barbour repeatedly ignored, dismissed, discounted or did not take efficient motion on credible allegations of McKeever’s bullying and even enabled the coach’s misconduct.
“As program alumnae, it's an understatement to say that we're very involved that a poisonous tradition within the swimming program continues to reward coaches, defend predators, and safeguard those that use outdated and trauma-inducing techniques,” the swimmers mentioned within the letter that was additionally despatched to Michael V. Drake, president of the College of California system, Wealthy Leib, vice chair of the College of California board of regents, and different Cal and UC system directors.
The swimmers who competed for Cal from 1993 to 2020 and the dad and mom of swimmers who signed the letter wrote that the expertise of present Cal swimmers is their “at the beginning” concern.
“Our present concern is the protection and nicely being of the present swimmers, ensuring they will prepare and compete and have a standard pupil expertise this 12 months on condition that the crew can be underneath public scrutiny and within the public eye,” mentioned Katherine McAdoo, a former Cal swimmer who helped coordinate the letter.
The college commissioned investigation and Cal’s determination to position McKeever on paid administrative go away on Might 25 was prompted by an SCNG report that the coach has routinely bullied athletes all through her 29-year profession at Berkeley.
Thirty-six present or former Cal swimmers and divers, 17 dad and mom, a former member of the Golden Bears’ males’s swimming and diving squad, two former coaches, a former Cal administrator and two former Cal athletic division workers have instructed SCNG that McKeever, the one girl to function head coach of a U.S. Olympic swim crew, routinely bullied swimmers, typically in deeply private phrases, or used embarrassing or traumatic experiences from their previous in opposition to them, used racial epithets, body-shamed and pressured athletes to compete or prepare whereas injured or coping with continual sicknesses or consuming issues, even accusing some girls of mendacity about their situations regardless of being supplied medical data by them.
9 Cal girls’s swimmers, six since 2018, have instructed SCNG they made plans to kill themselves or obsessed about suicide for weeks or months due to what they describe as McKeever’s bullying.
Swimmers and oldsters have additionally alleged that McKeever revealed medical details about athletes to different crew members and coaches with out their permission in violation of federal, state and college privateness legal guidelines and tips.
“As has been reported in a number of information articles, we witnessed or had been victims of the longstanding sample of verbal and emotional abuse perpetrated by McKeever and endorsed by Cal Athletics throughout our time as student-athletes,” the swimmers and oldsters wrote within the letter to Christ and others. “The articles precisely characterize our collective expertise swimming underneath McKeever: bullying, verbal and emotional abuse, racial epithets, and training practices that inspired us to betray our personal our bodies, psychological well being, and teammates.
“Many different tales have gone unshared,” the letter continued. “The results of McKeever’s teaching, tradition of worry and intimidation on the crew, and the athletic division’s disappointing failure to guard its athletes have sadly adopted every of us into maturity. Many people solely not too long ago are recognizing the indicators of trauma and stress that we proceed to endure on account of our experiences as Cal student-athletes.
“Within the weeks for the reason that information broke, many people have discovered solidarity and luxury in reconnecting with former teammates, supporting each other, and rebuilding the bonds that had been damaged by our isolating and traumatizing experiences at Cal. We count on you now to not let historical past repeat itself and urgently name on you to cease the abuse that continues with every new class.”
The group within the letter outlined “5 foremost considerations in regards to the pressing want for a change in tradition inside Cal Swimming that transitions this system to at least one the place pupil athletes are revered, secure, and might thrive:”
● “On the latest Nationwide Affiliation of Collegiate Administrators of Athletics (NACDA) convention, knowledge was introduced affirming that whereas 1 / 4 of pupil athletes undergo from psychological well being points, solely 10% search assist. We'd count on UC Berkeley to have assets available, particularly within the heightened local weather of consideration round Cal Swimming this season. What's the college doing to make sure that pupil athletes learn about psychological well being and medical assets and really feel secure and supported accessing them?”
● “Our expertise has proven that widespread college management has did not take motion on our considerations. Past the athletic division, which college departments are included within the investigation? Who's liable for main a university-wide shift in tradition towards defending pupil athletes?”
● “We perceive that the continuing investigation could trigger fallout throughout the present crew and create a hostile local weather for some athletes. We want to be certain that the present student-athletes really feel secure. What's the college doing to help a optimistic and cohesive crew tradition in a high-stakes season that may play out within the public eye? What assets can be obtainable to the coach to make sure their means to help the crew?”
● “The college has not but decided on McKeever’s employment. When will a choice be made on McKeever’s standing with the college?”
● “Our experiences and voices have been dismissed and ignored for the final twenty years. For the investigation to have legitimacy, it should be printed in written kind and obtainable for former athletes and the general public to learn. Will there be a written report from the interior investigation, and in that case, when can we count on it to be issued?”
Along with the investigation being performed by the legislation agency of Munger, Tolles and Olson, the college’s Workplace for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination can also be investigating allegations that McKeever earlier this 12 months used a racial epithet and profanities in disparaging rap music. The investigation into the incident initially targeted on potential racial discrimination however has since been expanded to additionally take into account attainable discrimination based mostly on sexual orientation and nationwide origin, based on 5 swimmers, two dad and mom and confidential college paperwork obtained by SCNG. McKeever can also be being investigated by the U.S. Middle for SafeSport.
Present and former Cal swimmers, their dad and mom, and a former college administrator have additionally questioned the independence of the investigation of McKeever, citing battle of curiosity considerations in regards to the agency, Munger, Tolles and Olson, employed by the college to conduct the probe.
Brad Brian, a former all-conference Cal baseball participant, is chair of Munger, Tolles and Olson, the agency’s high place. Brian is among the Cal athletic division’s main fundraisers and not too long ago led a marketing campaign to construct seashore volleyball and softball services for the varsity, based on the college. He's one among solely two recipients of the Robert Gordon & Ida Sproul award for the “most excellent contribution to the college,” based on Cal and Brian’s Munger, Tolles and Olson bio.
Brian in a press release that he performed no position within the agency being employed by Cal or within the ongoing investigation. A spokesman for Cal mentioned the college has not tried to “affect an investigation’s consequence.”
Cal has repeatedly declined to touch upon the specifics of the McKeever case citing “the legal guidelines and insurance policies that govern how we function.” Drake has declined requests for remark as nicely.
The college has additionally declined a number of requests to make Knowlton or Simon-O’Neill obtainable for remark.
McKeever has declined a number of requests for remark. Thomas Newkirk, McKeever’s legal professional, has mentioned she is the sufferer of each a double commonplace in how feminine and male coaches are considered and judged, and the way feminine athletes are socialized from a younger age to report stress, accidents and frustration otherwise than male athletes.
As SCNG and the Bay Space Information Group reported August 19, Dave Durden, Cal’s males’s head coach, has additionally taken over teaching the ladies’s crew and the 2 squads have been merged as one program.
In the event you or somebody is scuffling with emotions of melancholy or suicidal ideas, the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline gives free, round the clock help, info and assets for assist. Attain the lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255, or see the 988lifeline.org web site.
Extra protection of Cal Swimming and Teri McKeever’s suspension.