Two US senators express concerns with SafeSport, ask sports organizations for feedback

Concerned the U.S. Center for SafeSport is not doing the job Congress intended it to, two U.S. senators are asking sports governing bodies to answer a series of questions that could determine whether federal lawmakers step in again.

Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and Gary Peters, D-Michigan, sent a letter to more than 50 national governing bodies Wednesday with nine questions about SafeSport’s handling of abuse complaints, its treatment of reporting parties and what Congress can do to ensure athletes are being protected. The senators asked that NGBs respond within two weeks.

“Over the last seven years, SafeSport has made progress in helping athletes and families fight abuse in sports, but there is more to be done,” wrote the senators, who have long been active in the bipartisan efforts to improve protections for athletes.

“We are grateful for SafeSport’s work since its founding in helping to safeguard children, families and the broader U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement,” they wrote. “Still, athletes continue to experience obstacles in reporting abuse and misconduct to SafeSport and in seeing those reports adequately investigated and resolved. More must be done to ensure SafeSport achieves its founding mission.”

Following sexual abuse scandals in several sports, including the revelations that Larry Nassar had used his position as a physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State to abuse hundreds of girls and young women, Congress created SafeSport as an independent body to handle abuse complaints in the Olympic movement. The center opened in March 2017 after passage of the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, and the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act in 2020 gave the center further authority and funding.

But almost since it opened, SafeSport has been criticized for its lengthy delays — yearslong in some cases — in resolving complaints; high rate of administrative closures, which NGBs say leave them in the dark about whether someone poses a threat; and investigative and appeals processes that are insensitive to the trauma experienced by reporting parties.

According to SafeSport’s 2022 annual report, administrative closures have been used in 4,800 of 12,751 cases since the Center opened in March 2017. Violations, meanwhile, were found in just 1,720 cases.

“We appreciate Senators Blackburn and Peters’ focus on athlete safety and their efforts to learn about how they can further support the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s mission," Ju'Riese Colon, SafeSport CEO, said in a statement to USA TODAY.

"Prior to opening our doors, abuse in sport had persisted unchecked. We were established out of a need for accountability and oversight of more than 50 National Sport Governing bodies (NGBs), most of which recognize the importance of the Center’s independence and exclusive jurisdiction over sexual misconduct. While we face resistance from some NGBs, we meet with them regularly, seek their feedback, and maintain open communication as they are all vital stakeholders in the Center’s efforts to end abuse in sport.”

More: U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to protect athletes from abuse. But is it working?

Complaints about SafeSport have come from multiple governing bodies, abuse advocates and attorneys on both sides of the process. While many are made privately for fear of reprisal, U.S. Soccer has been open about its concerns following Sally Yates’ report on widespread abuse in women’s soccer.

In her report, Yates specifically recommended U.S. Soccer not rely solely on SafeSport to keep athletes safe because of the delay in resolving cases and instead “should implement safety measures when necessary to protect players.”

More: What is the U.S. Center for SafeSport and what does it do?

U.S. Soccer tried that with Rory Dames, whose abusive and manipulative behavior as coach of the Chicago Red Stars took up 38 pages of Yates’ 172-page report. But SafeSport ordered U.S. Soccer to return Dames’ coaching license while it investigated him and instead imposed temporary restrictions that, in theory, would allow him to continue coaching.

Almost two years later, despite volumes of evidence, the case against Dames remains open.

“Ultimately, we all share the same goal: to support and protect amateur athletes as they compete and represent America on the international stage,” Blackburn and Peters wrote. “These athletes carry Americans’ hopes, dreams, and ideals. They should not also be forced to carry the burden and pain of abuse.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Senators have concerns about SafeSport's handling of abuse cases