Pacific Swimming
PSL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
 
PSL’s Grievance Procedure provides athletes, families, 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, sexual harassment and/or sexually explicit or inappropriate communication through social media:
  • For issues dealing with physical abuse, emotional abuse, criminal charges and the use, sale or distribution of illegal drugs:
  • For issues dealing with known or suspected child abuse:
    • Call California Department of Social Services (San Mateo County 24-hour hotlines): (650)-595-7922 or (650)-802-7922 or (800)-632-4615
  • For issues dealing with peer-to-peer bullying, coach-athlete bullying, parent issues, violations of any of PSL’s Codes of Conduct and violations of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy:
    • These issues are handled at the club level following the procedures outlined below.
PSL is a non-profit organization with a governing board of directors.
 
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 PSL’s Athlete 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 PSL Board of Directors are notified of the complaint and will work together to determine the best resolution.
 
Regarding the Conduct of an Associate or Assistant Coach - Contact the Head Coach
 
Should a parent or athlete feel an Associate or Assistant 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 PSL Board of Directors are notified and will then investigate the complaint. Once a thorough investigation of the complaint has been completed, the head coach will work with the Board of Directors to determine the best resolution. 
 
Regarding Conduct of Head Coach – Notify the PSL 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 to determine the best resolution.
 
Regarding Board of Director Member Conduct - Notify the PSL Board President
 
Should a parent or athlete feel a board member’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 to determine the best resolution.
 
Regarding Parent, Volunteer or Swim Official Conduct - Notify the Head Coach and Board President
 
 Should a parent or athlete feel another PSL parent’s, a volunteer 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 to determine the best resolution.
 
NOTE: With the exception of issues which immediately affect the health and safety of swimmers, all matters should be discussed before or after a practice session, as coaches should not be expected to deal with issues during practice time.
 
  HOW GRIEVANCES WILL BE HANDLED
 
The Board of Directors have the authority to impose penalties for infractions of the PSL Athlete, Parent and Coach Codes of Conduct or any behavior(s) they deem not conducive to the best interests of the club or other athlete. Consequences are at the sole discretion of the coaches and/or the PSL 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, USA Swimming and local law enforcement (if applicable) will be contacted within 24 hours if a coach, parent, or swimmer 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 PSL 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
 Updated: March 27, 2024