Ross Miner suspended for 6 months by SafeSport for sexual harassment

[karne]

U.S. Center for SafeSport suspends figure skating coach Ross Miner for sexual harassment

Ross Miner, a U.S. figure skating coach and retired skater, was suspended for six months by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for sexual harassment.

www.usatoday.com

(with credit to LiftLoopLunge on Twitter where I first read the news)


This is a big shock. But it goes to the point, doesn't it? Sometimes bad people work very hard to appear like really nice people.

 

[el henry]

Wow, just wow.

Here is a link to the SafeSport database, which Christine Brennan did not include in her story (at least I didn't see it):

Centralized Disciplinary Database | U.S. Center for SafeSport

This public database lists adults in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement whose sport participation is restricted based on SafeSport Code violation.

uscenterforsafesport.org

Ross is the first name listed, for now, I am sure as it is updated that may change. Under additional detail it says "Education, probation".

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I was just coming over to post this, but Karne beat me to it.

Still kind of a shock.

 

[Imagine]

I don't know much about this guy as I'm pretty much a four-year fan when it comes to men's skating...but I do remember watching him on TV at 2018 Nationals and feeling kind of bad for him when he didn't make the team. I take that back now. It's scary how the nicest seeming people are always the ones who get caught doing these things.

 

[karne]

Oh lord, it's somehow worse than I thought and I already thought it would be pretty bad.

TW: racism (particularly anti-Asian slurs), sexual harassment

LiftLoopLunge has some receipts...

 

[el henry]

If these screen shots are real, I cannot see how Ross could have a future in skating, Safe Sport or no Safe Sport.

not enough sad or upset emojis

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh lord, it's somehow worse than I thought and I already thought it would be pretty bad.

TW: racism (particularly anti-Asian slurs), sexual harassment

LiftLoopLunge has some receipts...

Holy...

Those messages are just hideous! How could anyone say those things?

If these screen shots are real, I cannot see how Ross could have a future in skating, Safe Sport or no Safe Sport.

Me neither. And honestly he doesn't deserve to be after what he's written.

 

[ladyjane]

I am in shock and, frankly, disgusted. I don't see a future for him in FS either.

 

[Apple1078]

Shocking!!!!!! Those messages... I have no words!!

 

[katymay]

If these screen shots are real, I cannot see how Ross could have a future in skating, Safe Sport or no Safe Sport.

not enough sad or upset emojis

Well, exactly, These are the sort of tweets you see from a nasty 12 year old, not a grown up. I sort of wonder if someone else got ahold of his account. (My daughter got sent messages like this once, and when we got to the bottom of it, it was a younger brother who sent them)

 

[karne]

Well, exactly, These are the sort of tweets you see from a nasty 12 year old, not a grown up. I sort of wonder if someone else got ahold of his account. (My daughter got sent messages like this once, and when we got to the bottom of it, it was a younger brother who sent them)

A full SafeSport investigation was conducted. I doubt he receives a suspension if they find that someone else was sending Snapchats on his behalf.

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

I always knew there were going to be bad people in any sport, but this is especially shocking because he retired so recently. Absolutely disgusting. He should not be allowed back into coaching, and the USFS needs to sever all ties with him. Those screenshots are horrible, and I feel so bad for that poor child who had to receive this garbage.

 

[Bookseller]

Those posts are so bad it's hard to believe that they are real. If they are real, he's not only bad, he's stupid. But what is real is that Safe Sport suspended him, so clearly he was responsible for doing something very wrong. One assumes that substance abuse may be at play here, which is also a problem for a coach. I don't think there will be much coaching in his future.

 

[macy]

woooooooooow. that came out of left field.

like someone said before, it almost does sound like his snapchat was hacked...that's how a teeny bopper talks to strangers on the internet. but wow, if that isn't the case...a 30 year old speaking like that. makes me happy he wasn't selected to compete at the Olympics.

 

[Minz]

I don’t even know what to say here......
This is so shocking.....

If he sent those Snapchat messages he should have been banned for much longer then 6 months.

No matter what, his reputation is ruined.

 

[mrrice]

There's a saying...."A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing" That's what I think of when I read these stories. Richard Callaghan, Peter Oppegard, and now Ross. I saw Ross skate live at the 2011 Nationals and he really won me over with his energy and great smile. Who knew this would be coming. I'm glad that SafeSport exists so these predators don't get away with this behavior.

The fact that he's a disgusting Racists makes me sick and I hope he never works in skating again. I certainly wouldn't have anything to do with him.

 

[saturdaysun]

Well, exactly, These are the sort of tweets you see from a nasty 12 year old, not a grown up. I sort of wonder if someone else got ahold of his account. (My daughter got sent messages like this once, and when we got to the bottom of it, it was a younger brother who sent them)

It would be great if the first thing people do when these stories break isn't to hope to find any loophole to try to absolve the disgusting racist!!!!

 

[macy]

It would be great if the first thing people do when these stories break isn't to hope to find any loophole to try to absolve the disgusting racist!!!!

i don't think that's what anyone is doing or has the intention of doing. no one is defending him or saying he didn't do it. it's kind of impossible not to wonder if something happened based on what was sent in the screenshot, but no one is saying that is what happened at all. if he truly did send all that, then he deserves much more than the slap on the hand he got. its absolutely disgusting.

 

[saturdaysun]

i don't think that's what anyone is doing or has the intention of doing. no one is defending him or saying he didn't do it. it's kind of impossible not to wonder if something happened based on what was sent in the screenshot, but no one is saying that is what happened at all. if he truly did send all that, then he deserves much more than the slap on the hand he got. its absolutely disgusting.

The post I was quoting literally says "I sort of wonder if someone else got ahold of his account." There are screen shots, he was investigated and found guilty and was suspended yet half the posts in this thread are still wondering if maybe he didn't do it. It was the same thing in the Morgan Cipres thread and in other similar threads. Some people will never have enough proof. It's disgusting.

And the comments about how a 12-year-old talks like this are wrong too. I don't know about you but I wasn't sending racist slurs to anyone when I was 12. Children model their behavior after adults and 12-year-olds know racist slurs are not ok. Don't dismiss what he did as something childish or something everyone does when they're young or something you can grow out of. He's a racist, no matter the age.

 

[Amei]

I don't know much about this guy as I'm pretty much a four-year fan when it comes to men's skating...but I do remember watching him on TV at 2018 Nationals and feeling kind of bad for him when he didn't make the team. I take that back now. It's scary how the nicest seeming people are always the ones who get caught doing these things.

He still got screwed over in 2018, regardless of whatever he has or has not done off the ice, as long as it wasn't a banned substance that enhanced his performance during that competition.

This is a big shock. But it goes to the point, doesn't it? Sometimes bad people work very hard to appear like really nice people.

It's scary how the nicest seeming people are always the ones who get caught doing these things.

I would say this speaks as a warning (not that there haven't been warnings in the past) that fans shouldn't hero worship sports stars and celebrities, people see someone throw a ball or land a jump and suddenly they are being idolized as some kind of hero/heroine like they are a doctor or soldier and then because they post a picture every few days at training or with their pet that suddenly the 'fans' act like they know that person at an intimate level.