Former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was not a member of USA Swimming at the time he sexually assaulted a woman, and therefore cannot be banned, according to USA Swimming Director of SafeSport Susan Woessner.
Turner was sentenced to 6 months in prison and probation by a Superior Court judge last week after a jury found him guilty of three charges: assault with the intent to commit rape, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person and sexual penetration of an unconscious person.
Two prior charges of the original five were dropped.
Turner is a former member of the USA Swimming National Junior Team for the 2013-2014 season, but the organization says that his membership lapsed as of the end of 2014 (on December 31st, 2014 to be specific). That means that when he committed the sexual assault in January of 2015, during his freshman year at Stanford, he was not a USA Swimming member.
“He was not a member at the time of his crime or since then,” Woessner said. “USA Swimming doesn’t have any jurisdiction over non-members.”
Woessner did say that Turner wouldn’t be allowed to become a member in the future, however.
“Turner would be not eligible to become a member should he attempt to return to the organization in the future.”
While USA Swimming cannot enact bans over non-members, they do keep a list of flagged individuals who would not be cleared for membership if they applied in the future.
Athletes must be members of USA Swimming “in good standing” to complete at the Olympic Trials.
Thought one had to be a member of USA Swimming in order to have their times loaded into the USA Swimming times data base. Brock Turner has times from January 2015 – the same month the crimes occurred. My swimmer had to keep a current membership in order for the college times to be loaded into SWIMS, unless USA Swimming gives preferential treatment to Division 1 athletes.
If his membership expired December 31, 2014, why does he have a couple of times from January 10, 2015. Maybe USA Swimming can explain why some athletes need to maintain memberships in order to have their times loaded and others don’t.
1. Mr. Turner had his pants on during the ‘rape,”
2. The “victim” did not resist sexual intimacy with Mr. Turner.
3. Who knows whether she gave consent or not? She remembered little the following day.
4. The only penetration was Turner’s finger.
5. The judge was a sexual assault prosecutor prior to being appointed to the Court.
The lesson of this case is “get it in writing” or don’t do it under this brand-new Calif. law.
But don’t worry about the facts, folks, get yer pitch forks and tar ‘n feathers! String ‘im up! After all, it’s a privileged Stanford boy, we’ll make him sorry!
What a black mark rapist Brock Turner has put on the Stanford Athletic Department and swim team. I remember when I admired a student that could balance academics and the challenges of competition. Look where Turner has brought the school. Stanford at fault for “creating a party atmosphere”? That is what The Turner family and their attorney has stated. Another black mark. Why is he at Stanford again? Academics? Oh , ya, That’s it, I forgot. An unconscious woman….. now there’s a party atmosphere!
USA swimming: As a former USA swim coach, I was required to take the Athlete Protection Training. I know there is a “black” list of coaches who have committed sexual misconduct with swimmers, especially minors and they will never be a USA swim coach again. But what you’re telling me is if these coaches commit sexual misconduct before they became a USA swim coach or anytime they’re USA coaching registration expires, they won’t be banned from coaching kids? That’s messed up. You need to re-evaluate your ethics.
Jinny, you can not be a USA Swimming coach if you have a prior conviction. All USA Swimming coaches are given federal background checks (I believe it’s a level 2, but I could be incorrect about that). Don’t pass that background check, you’re not allowed to coach.
Glado the rapist lost his Olympic dream, Stamford degree and any chance at not being recognized in public.
Bravo. Thank you for standing up for human decency and solidifying my faith in swimming as a sport that is about more than just swim times. There are plenty of fast swimmers who are good, caring human beings and that is who should be allowed to represent the sport and US in the Olympics.
I agree with the comments below./ Because I was concerned about the comment and the fact that it looked like it came directly from this website, I looked into it (and was relieved it was just some heinous person spewing stupidity). I subsequently shared this information with my friends and the swim team I coach–but maybe there’s a way to get that quote removed from the Persky petition? Better late than never?
When I was 11 and my little sister was nine, we were accosted by a man who exposed himself to us. We had walked to the corner store to buy snacks, and he stopped us in his car on our walk home. When we reported it to our parents, our dad became very angry and yelled, asking us why we were talking to a stranger when he and our mom had warned us about that so often.
A neighbor of mine who had been 80 years old and was diligent about locking her doors, was viciously attacked, including rape when the perpetrator got in through her unlocked window. I heard some people actually ask why she would fail to… Read more »