Abuse and College Athletics - MSU

HawkGold

HawkGold

Well-Known Member
PSU, Baylor, MN, who knows how many more. I hadn't made the connection with MSU. The media has focused on Nassar's connection with the gymnastics team. He was a MSU employee. He was heavily involved in sports at MSU. He was first reported 20 plus years ago to the gymnastics coach who only recently resigned. The gymnastics coach did work on covering this up. There were 20 years of reporting this guy. MSU is facing more than 140 lawsuits. In 2014, he was reported to the police for sexual assault and was allowed to work seeing female patients MSU for 16 months following the report to police.

MSU is rigorously denying cover-up

http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/...ssar-surrounded-enablers-abused-athletes-espn
 
Yeah, I hadn't known about the MSU involvement. Too bad. This story just gets worse and worse. And it hasn't even gone to court yet.
 
It's a really, really gross and disturbing story all the way around. Just think of how many people were involved in enabling his behavior, either knowingly (USA Gymnastics, MSU) or unwittingly (parents, coaches).

It makes me sick to my stomach to read these stories both as a human being and the father of a daughter. If my daughter told me something like this was happening I would damn sure believe her. A lot of these parents appear to simply have wanted these accusations to be false and didn't dig any deeper.
 
Hawknigh said:
Yeah, I hadn't known about the MSU involvement. Too bad. This story just gets worse and worse. And it hasn't even gone to court yet.
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He entered guilty please on several different counts. Victim impact statements have been taking place.

What I don't get is that people are going after one or tow of the accusers. WTF? Even if you don't believe someone's claims fully, or think they're lying through their teeth, victim-shaming is ridiculous.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
He entered guilty please on several different counts. Victim impact statements have been taking place.

What I don't get is that people are going after one or tow of the accusers. WTF? Even if you don't believe someone's claims fully, or think they're lying through their teeth, victim-shaming is ridiculous.
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My point is that a full court case with testimony of victims has not yet happened. If/when it does, the evidence will become even more excruciatingly painful.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
He entered guilty please on several different counts. Victim impact statements have been taking place.

What I don't get is that people are going after one or tow of the accusers. WTF? Even if you don't believe someone's claims fully, or think they're lying through their teeth, victim-shaming is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

People don't understand the emotional and brain damage that occurs with abuse. it really does change the brain and that is medically measurable. The girl who fought the Non disclosure settlement is taking a lot of heat. At least USA gymnastics is voiding that agreement. Probably as a way to avoid criminal charges.

Several things really are difficult in this for me. The first is the girl whose parents were family friends. Her life is likely forever severely damaged with her father's suicide. That story is sick, but I imagine a lot more will come out. The other is the girl who went directly to the gymnastics coach 20 years ago and was shamed by that coach.

I was a friend of a guy whose daughter has been on the team. As a kid he lived for the Olympics to come around in 4 years. I haven't seen that name associated with the abuse though. We'd have our own Olympics with medals. With a lot of parents, kids being successful is a dream. Personally, my sons were very good athletes...quite good. And I was willing to allow the schools to guide concussion protocol which was a huge mistake. I knew better deep down. One finally quit a ranked college soccer team where he would have been a starter his 2nd season. It was a hard decision, but the right one after his last concussion. Still, there is a lot of pressure on kids and parents. It's easy to sit back and criticize.

But back to abuse, perps at that level are very gifted at covering their trail. However, it usually takes others who are enablers such as Joe Pa, a principal, parent who has something to lose.
 
HawkGold said:
People don't understand the emotional and brain damage that occurs with abuse. it really does change the brain and that is medically measurable. The girl who fought the Non disclosure settlement is taking a lot of heat. At least USA gymnastics is voiding that agreement. Probably as a way to avoid criminal charges.

Several things really are difficult in this for me. The first is the girl whose parents were family friends. Her life is likely forever severely damaged with her father's suicide. That story is sick, but I imagine a lot more will come out. The other is the girl who went directly to the gymnastics coach 20 years ago and was shamed by that coach.

I was a friend of a guy whose daughter has been on the team. As a kid he lived for the Olympics to come around in 4 years. I haven't seen that name associated with the abuse though. We'd have our own Olympics with medals. With a lot of parents, kids being successful is a dream. Personally, my sons were very good athletes...quite good. And I was willing to allow the schools to guide concussion protocol which was a huge mistake. I knew better deep down. One finally quit a ranked college soccer team where he would have been a starter his 2nd season. It was a hard decision, but the right one after his last concussion. Still, there is a lot of pressure on kids and parents. It's easy to sit back and criticize.

But back to abuse, perps at that level are very gifted at covering their trail. However, it usually takes others who are enablers such as Joe Pa, a principal, parent who has something to lose.
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Not that it really matters now as this guy will never see the free world again, but I have wondered if/when Shawn’s name makes its way into the story. At this point it sounds like not being a victim of this maggot is like winning the lottery.
 
HawkGold said:
People don't understand the emotional and brain damage that occurs with abuse. it really does change the brain and that is medically measurable. The girl who fought the Non disclosure settlement is taking a lot of heat. At least USA gymnastics is voiding that agreement. Probably as a way to avoid criminal charges.

Several things really are difficult in this for me. The first is the girl whose parents were family friends. Her life is likely forever severely damaged with her father's suicide. That story is sick, but I imagine a lot more will come out. The other is the girl who went directly to the gymnastics coach 20 years ago and was shamed by that coach.

I was a friend of a guy whose daughter has been on the team. As a kid he lived for the Olympics to come around in 4 years. I haven't seen that name associated with the abuse though. We'd have our own Olympics with medals. With a lot of parents, kids being successful is a dream. Personally, my sons were very good athletes...quite good. And I was willing to allow the schools to guide concussion protocol which was a huge mistake. I knew better deep down. One finally quit a ranked college soccer team where he would have been a starter his 2nd season. It was a hard decision, but the right one after his last concussion. Still, there is a lot of pressure on kids and parents. It's easy to sit back and criticize.

But back to abuse, perps at that level are very gifted at covering their trail. However, it usually takes others who are enablers such as Joe Pa, a principal, parent who has something to lose.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the friend-of-the-family saga is particularly horrifying. That, and some of the "coach" figures either ignoring and/or covering the issue.
 
On an institutional level this is many ways this is analogous to the Penn State case. The head coach in both instances is allowed to be emperor of his own domain and whose personal power and the interests of the team can effectively neutralize the system controls around him. In both cases the coaches are bluntly dismissive and openly hostile to even the suggestion of sexual impropriety within the organization. You can debate the degree to which the coach is actually aware and complicit in the abuse, but the results are pretty much the same regardless. The coach and those around him effectively shut down any inquiry into the matter. Anyone who even entertains the possibility of sexual abuse is regarded as not being in it for the team. Depending on how much clout the coach has his veto power and personal control can extend well into the institutional organization around him. If he is purposefully ignorant of what goes on around him, he may require the same from those who work for and with him. Pressure to tow the party line frequently extends throughout an organization, including both executives and subordinates outside the coaches line of authority.
 
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