CCA GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

 
   

The CCA Grievance Procedure provides athletes, parents, coaches, club leaders and employees a system to address and report grievances in a productive, systematic way. Following these Procedures provides the appropriate parties a means to properly investigate, intervene, and take disciplinary action when needed.

WHERE TO REPORT:
For issues dealing with sexual misconduct, physical abuse, emotional abuse, criminal charges and the use, sale or distribution of illegal drugs, sexual harassment and/or sexually explicit or inappropriate communication through social media:

For issues dealing with known or suspected child abuse:

  • ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313

For issues dealing with peer-to-peer bullying, coach-athlete bullying, parent issues, violations of the CCA Code of Conduct and violations of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy.

  • These issues are handled at the club level following the procedures outlined below.
     

WHOM TO NOTIFY OF A GRIEVANCE (Chain of Command)

Regarding the Conduct of an Athlete - Contact the swimmer’s coach.

  • Should a parent or athlete feel another athlete’s conduct is inappropriate or violates the CCA Code of Conduct, the parent/athlete should discuss these concerns with the coach of the athlete responsible for the violation (Responsible Coach). This complaint should be made in person or in writing. Coaches will ensure the CCA Board of Directors is notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.

Regarding the Conduct of an Assistant or Age Group Coach - Contact the Head Coach

  • Should a parent or athlete feel an Assistant or Age Group Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or in violation of any Club policies or procedures, the parent/athlete should notify the Head Coach of this violation. This complaint should be made in person or in writing. The Head Coach will ensure that the CCA Board of Directors is notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.

Regarding Conduct of Head Coach – Notify the CCA Board President 

  • Should a parent or athlete feel the Head Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/athlete should notify the President of the Board of Directors of this violation. This complaint should be made in person or in writing. If the President is not immediately available, this complaint may be presented to any member of the Board of Directors, with notification made in writing to the President. This complaint will be subject to review and discussion by the full Board of Directors.

Regarding Board of Director Member Conduct - Notify the CCA Board President

  • Should a parent or athlete feel a Director’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/athlete should notify the Board President of this violation in person or in writing. If the Board President is the Director whose conduct is in question, the Board Vice President should be notified in writing or in person instead of the Board President. This complaint will be reviewed and discussed by the full Board of Directors.

Regarding Parent or Swim/Dive Official Conduct - Notify the Head Coach and Board President

  • Should a parent or athlete feel another CCA parent’s or an official’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/athlete should notify the Head Coach and Board President of this violation in person or in writing. This complaint will be reviewed and discussed by the full Board of Directors.

Note: With the exception of issues which immediately affect the health and safety of athlete, all matters should be discussed before or after a coaching session, as coaches should not be expected to deal with issues during water time.

HOW GRIEVANCES WILL BE HANDLED

The Board of Directors have the authority to impose penalties for infractions of the CCA Athlete, Parent and Coach Codes of Conduct or any behavior(s) they deem not conducive to the best interests of the Club or other swimmers. Consequences are at the sole discretion of the coaches and/or CCA Board of Directors and may include, but aren’t limited to, verbal warnings, dismissal from practice, contacting parents, temporary suspension from club activities and expulsion. Involved parties will be informed of the processes and range of potential consequences. The U.S. Center for SafeSport and local law enforcement (if applicable) will be contacted within 24 hours if a coach, parent, or athlete violates the SafeSport Code for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements, the USA Swimming Code of Conduct, Athlete Protection Policy, or local laws.

  1. Gathering Information: The appropriate individuals will contact the person who filed the grievance, and the person against whom the grievance is being filed, to ask questions about what happened. In addition, other witnesses may be contacted for more information. All information will be recorded on the CCA grievance procedure form.
  2. Assessing Behavior: The behavior of the person(s) against which the grievance was brought, will be assessed using club policies and facility rules, USA Swimming Code of Conduct, USA Swimming Safe Sport policies, as well as applicable local and state laws.
  3. Consequences will be given and disciplinary action will be taken, if appropriate. These consequences and disciplinary actions will be decided using the following general guidelines: 
    1. Nature of the misconduct
    2. Severity of the misconduct
    3. Prior disciplinary actions
    4. Adverse effect of the misconduct
    5. Application of the Code of Conduct