The Lone Star Swim Club Grievance Policy outlines guidance and procedures to give swimmers, parents, coaches, Club leadership, and employees a way to address and report grievances in a productive, systematic way that allows the appropriate parties to investigate and intervene, and take disciplinary action when needed.
There are occasions when a problem arises in a club, for example fighting or bullying, where immediate action is required. A temporary suspension or exclusion from a single training session can be given by the coaches. A report should then be made, within 24 hours, to the club president, who then should report back to the board, who should follow the procedures outlined below.
With the exception of issues that immediately effect the health and safety of swimmers, all matters should be discussed before or after a coaching session and coaches should not be expected to deal with issues during water time.
If your concern relates to inappropriate behavior or activity that includes but is not limited to the following:
- Criminal activity
- Use, sale or distribution of illegal drugs
- Physical abuse
- Inappropriate touching
- Coaches sharing hotel rooms with athletes
- Rubdowns or massages performed by coaches
- Pictures and or videos taken in locker rooms or changing areas
- Violations of USA Swimming’s Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP)
Please report the incident immediately to SafeSport. You can reach out to South Texas Safe Sport Chairperson, Mary Evelyn Bowling, at [email protected] or USA Swimming SafeSport U.S. Center for SafeSport 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) and USA Swimming Safe Sport [email protected]. Anonymous reporting can be completed https://fs22.formsite.com/usaswimming/form10/index.html
If your concern relates to sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or sexually explicit communication through any media, please contact the U.S Center for SafeSport to make a report immediately. You can report your concern online or call 720-524-5640. More information can be found at www.uscenterforsafesport.org.
TYPES OF GRIEVANCES
- Swimmer conduct
- Assistant or Age Group Coach Conduct
- Head Coach Conduct
- Employee Conduct (non-swim team employees)
- Board of Director Member Conduct
- USA Swim Official or swim team parent conduct
WHOM TO NOTIFY OF A GRIEVANCE (The Grievance Chain-of-Command)
Regarding the Conduct of a Swimmer - Contact the swimmer’s coach
Should a parent or swimmer feel another swimmer’s conduct is inappropriate or violates the Athlete Code of Conduct, the parent/swimmer should discuss these concerns with the coach of the swimmer responsible for the violation (Responsible Coach). This complaint should be made in person or in writing. Coaches will ensure that the LSAC Board of Directors are notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.
Regarding the Conduct of an Assistant or Age Group Coach - Contact the Head Coach, Adam Depmore.
Should a parent or swimmer feel an Assistant or Age Group Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or in violation of any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer 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 LSAC Board of Directors is notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.
Regarding Conduct of Head Coach – Notify the LSAC Safe Sport Director, Janel Smith at [email protected]
Should a parent or swimmer feel the Head Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer should notify the Team Safe Sport Director Janel Smith @ [email protected]. 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 LSAC Board President Travis Gilbert at [email protected]
Should a parent or swimmer feel a Director’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer 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 Official Conduct - Notify the Head Coach and Board President
Should a parent or swimmer feel another LSAC parent’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer 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.
HOW GRIEVANCES WILL BE HANDLED
The Board of Directors have the authority to impose penalties for infractions of the LSAC Athlete, Parent and Coaches 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 LSAC Board of Directors and may include, but aren’t limited to, verbal warnings, dismissal from practice, contacting parents, and expulsion. USA Swimming and local law enforcement (if applicable) will be contacted within 24 hours if a coach, parent or swimmer violates the USA Swimming Code of Conduct, Athlete Protection Policy, or local laws.
- Gathering Information: The appropriate individuals will reach out to the person who filed the grievance and the person against whom the grievance is being filed to ask questions about what happened. Other witnesses may be contacted for more information, as well. All information will be recorded.
- 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, and applicable local and state laws. South Texas Safe Sport Chairperson Mary Evelyn Bowling will be notified of the incident.
- 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:
a. Nature of the misconduct
b. Severity of the misconduct
c. Prior disciplinary actions
d. Adverse effect of the misconduct
e. Application of the Code of Conduct
