Thursday, May 31, 2012

I'm not sorry for drawing attention to an accused abuser...

Remember when we all worked together tweeting to get Bob Garner, a man placed on the USA Gymnastics Permanently Eligible list due to accusations of him raping a 15 year old girl in the late 80s and early 90s, banned from the AAU? This was the guy who was a contact person for the AAU Tennessee state meet.

Well, as of right now, I have received 10 emails from Jennifer Sawyer, the individual who was set to run the meet along with Mr. Garner. Ms. Sawyer is frustrated with me due to the fact her meet was no longer sanctioned by AAU after my post was brought to your attention. She claims that he did not commit these crimes... Maybe he didn't. But, I'm not sorry that I posted about it.

Here are the 5 reasons that I refuse to apologize:

Gymnastics Wallpaper
1. He's on the USAG ineligible list. 
Yes, USAG is USAG, but with fewer than 100 people on the ineligible list, I have to believe that USAG would just arbitrarily stick someone on the list.

2. I've read the case notes. 
I've read the case notes, and although Mr. Garners conviction was overturned, it was overturned on the basis of an unlawfully obtained tape by the survivor's mother. Mr. Garner's lawyer argues about her "consent", something that's not obtainable by 15 year old in the state of TN.

3. Statistics aren't on his side. 
I work for a domestic violence/sexual assault crisis center for a living. I'll admit that it gives me a bias. But on average, studies say that less that 6% of abuse allegations are false. Additionally, very few sexual assault/abuse cases even make it trial. While it's quite possible that Mr. Garner falls into both of those very small categories, how likely is it? Honestly? 

4. Parents should be informed. 
I don't know if Mr. Garner committed this crime. Admittedly, I've never met him. But what I do know is that if I were a parent, I personally wouldn't want someone even accused of a crime of sexual abuse around my daughter, certainly not in a tight leotard without having an extensive amount of experience/trust with that person. I certainly wouldn't want that man spotting my child. It's not Ms. Sawyer's decision to make if he's safe. Parents should be able to make an informed decision after doing their own research.

5. He's STILL fucking coaching. 
If you google the names of some of the other people on the USAG permanently ineligible list some of them are leading successful lives. They're sales people, business owners, but they sure as hell aren't working with girls in leotards. Ms. Sawyer has informed me that Mr. Garner is still coaching in her gym, although he's been deemed ineligible by both USAG and AAU. What kind of message does that send to abusers?

Like I said before, I don't know if he committed these acts. There are likely only 2 people in the world who really truly do. BUT, people should be informed of the allegations.


15 comments:

  1. I would ignore these emails. The man is on the USAG ineligible list. If this woman has a problem with that, then she can take it up with him and try and get the creep removed from the list, or she can fire him and get her meet sanctioned again. The end.

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  2. *them. She can take it up with them, being USAG!

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  3. USAG will not put you on the list until not only are you convicted, but also have finished your sentence. Mark Schiffielbein who was sentenced to 99 years, will never be on the list because he'll, God-willing, never finish his sentence or be paroled. So yeah, it's not something they goof up on.

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    1. Mark Schiefelbein is on the list. His name is published in every single issue of Technique, as it should be!

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  4. Mark Schiffielbein IS on the list, as of Aug 2012.

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  5. This man is a criminal. He should not be allowed to work with children or own a gym. I would never let my daughters near him.

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  6. Jennifer Sawyer is no longer working at that gym. She has a bad temper.

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    1. Im no longer working there because mr garner did not tell me this importmamt information about his past before he hired me or before i had that meet sanctioned. I quit after only 3 months. If that makes you say i have a bad temper im ok with having a temper about that.

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  7. I met Garner. He gives me the creeps. I read the court papers too. Ew.

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  8. I was Im relative to him. Its all true. He had a child with my mother and they sicken me.

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  9. He IS a creep. I go to his gym often, but when im there he is teaching 7 year olds in leotards and lifting their legs up and holding them. Whats even worse, is that he LIVES there now and has beds upstairs. Yesterday he asked to take a picture of me and i refused.

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  10. He IS a creep. I go to his gym often, but when im there he is teaching 7 year olds in leotards and lifting their legs up and holding them. Whats even worse, is that he LIVES there now and has beds upstairs. Yesterday he asked to take a picture of me and i refused.

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  11. He has thankfully now closed the gym down...finally. Bekah i quit after learning this info after only three months. He did not inform me of the truth of the past before he hired me so because of this dishonesty i left.

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  12. You all are dumb asf
    XD

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