And at least 10 women (edit: or girls) ... it doesn't feel like this is something that's going to go away any time soon. And seeing that number just make me more angry at all the skaters/coaches who were blindly defending him and calling the women involved liar, etc.
I found this extremely disturbing:
Tara Modlin, who was Coughlin’s agent, sent a text message Monday evening in response to a request for comment: “It seems that you want me to comment on an unstable persons (sic) Facebook comment – I don’t really understand your question. … my suggestion is to call some of his other partners …”
Attacking an alleged victim as "unstable" is disgusting, especially when her experience was similar to what happened to a few other alleged victims. That there are other partners who had a positive experience with him is sort of meaningless.
I found this extremely disturbing:
Tara Modlin, who was Coughlin’s agent, sent a text message Monday evening in response to a request for comment: “It seems that you want me to comment on an unstable persons (sic) Facebook comment – I don’t really understand your question. … my suggestion is to call some of his other partners …”
Attacking an alleged victim as "unstable" is disgusting, especially when her experience was similar to what happened to a few other alleged victims. That there are other partners who had a positive experience with him is sort of meaningless.
I found this extremely disturbing:
Tara Modlin, who was Coughlin’s agent, sent a text message Monday evening in response to a request for comment: “It seems that you want me to comment on an unstable persons (sic) Facebook comment – I don’t really understand your question. … my suggestion is to call some of his other partners …”
Attacking an alleged victim as "unstable" is disgusting, especially when her experience was similar to what happened to a few other alleged victims. That there are other partners who had a positive experience with him is sort of meaningless.
Not true. There has been proof from secret recordings, dna, eyewitnesses etc.There’s no such thing as a proof a guilt when it comes to sexual harassments. It will always be a he said/she said situation.
Sexual harassment does not often occur in full public view. Since there are often no witnesses or material evidence to these cases, issues of credibility often arise in sexual harassment claims.
It’s usually very hard to proove that the person was harassed, and that’s the reason many victims don’t report those crimes and don’t speak out, it’s because they know the risk they are putting themselves at by talking about their personal pain, and the possibility of them being not believed and humiliated. (Which happened in this case, as the woman who spoke out was called „unstable“ right away)
It takes a great deal of courage to relive traumatic experiences and speak about them openly, knowing all people around you will know this reality about your personal trauma, and forever change their outlook on you.
If multiple different people spoke out, including minors, I tend to believe them. I think that’s a lot of people and it leaves only a little room for a doubt.
John isn’t a millionaire or a Hollywood celebrity, those people had little to gain from this in my opinion.
„Well why didn’t she come forward sooner?“You might ask
Sometimes it takes a long time to find the courage to tell anyone, and I’ve personally encountered women who couldn’t tell anyone, even their closest ones(parents,family) for a decade about their experiences.
To each their own, if you think she made up a story for 5 minutes of fame on Facebook, it’s completely up to you, I am not going to tell you to believe her, it’s your personal call, and it’s not mine to make. And I advise you to do the same, and not tell other people whether or not they should believe her or other victims.
Not true. There has been proof from secret recordings, dna, eyewitnesses etc.
Attacking an alleged victim as "unstable" is disgusting, especially when her experience was similar to what happened to a few other alleged victims. That there are other partners who had a positive experience with him is sort of meaningless.
What is the definition of "sexual assault"? Does anybody know what exactly they are accusing him of? What exactly did he do?
As I understand it, the charge is that Coughlin used his position as a legal adult and a much-sought-after male pairs partner to pressure young girls into sexual encounters. John's defense was that his behavior was "peer-to-peer" -- a 19-year old guy hitting on a fifteen-year-old girl is not a hanging offense (though not John's finest hour, and illegal to boot).
The details are murky because SafeSport has closed the case without public disclosure of its findings.
This is what I think.
John Coughlin is dead. He is beyond punishment or exoneration.
So now the relevant issue is not, "What did John do?" but (a) is there a "culture of abuse" in fugure skating, one that the USFSA, figure skating clubs, etc., can be held legally and morally responsible for?
(b) Legal responsibility aside, what can the figure skating establishment do to protect young skaters from being preyed upon when they find themselves in situations of power imbalance?
John Coughlin is dead. He is beyond punishment or exoneration.