An Olympic athlete sexually abused a teen. Here's how SafeSport helped send him to prison.
SafeSport's mission to put athletes' well-being first, above money and medals, was born out of a need for reform, consistent safety policies and accountability.
This month, a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, sentenced Olympic equestrian Rich Fellers to 50 months in prison for felony sexual abuse against a 17-year-old student he had coached.
When the report first came to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, our investigative team got to work while also reporting to law enforcement. Thanks to the strength and courage of a survivor, the center was able to provide critical information to law enforcement and continued to collaborate throughout the investigation until the arrest and conviction.
During the years-long criminal process, SafeSport listed Fellers as ineligible to participate in sport on its Centralized Disciplinary Database – a first-of-its-kind public resource listing those who have been restricted or banned from Olympic and Paralympic sport.
Fellers’ conviction is just one example of the critical role SafeSport plays in safeguarding athletes and holding abusers accountable.
SafeSport works to protect 11 million athletes
Filling a need for reform, accountability and independence: The center is the nation’s only independent organization dedicated to protecting more than 11 million participants in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports from sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Our mission to put athletes' well-being first, above money and medals, was born out of a need for reform, consistent safety policies and accountability.
Since we opened our doors in 2017, SafeSport has pioneered a shift to a safer sport culture:
∎ Reports of abuse and misconduct have increased by nearly 2,000%. Individuals are coming forward because they know SafeSport is a resource for them.
∎ The names of more than 2,000 individuals who are restricted or banned from sport are now listed on the centralized database.
∎ By the end of 2022, the center had trained more than 1.5 million people to prepare the sports community to recognize, prevent and respond to abuse and misconduct. Our current number of those who have received training is more than 2.3 million.
This data shows the center is making a difference in the lives of America’s athletes, but there is still so much to be done.
Sport governing bodies are not equipped to investigate sexual misconduct: Before SafeSport was established, abuse in sport was rampant, in part because policies were scarce and inconsistent, and when victims did report abuse to their national governing body, it was often swept under the rug, or worse, they were retaliated against.
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SafeSport has expertise to investigate sexual abuse allegations
The center is vested with exclusive authority to investigate and resolve sexual misconduct claims in Olympic and Paralympic sports, because we have the expertise and independence to handle these complex and sensitive matters. Congress underscored the importance of our work by strengthening our independence and ensuring we had resources to do what they determined the national governing bodies incapable of doing.
The U.S. Soccer Federation, which has been under scrutiny for its own inaction and mishandling of abuse cases, is now seeking to gain authority to investigate sexual misconduct cases the center has administratively closed.
President of US Soccer Federation: SafeSport is supposed to protect athletes. Its shortcomings leave them at risk of sexual abuse.
Let me be clear about why this is non-negotiable for the center. The most common reason the center administratively closes a case is because a potential victim was unable or unwilling to participate in our investigation.
It is important to note that reports can be made by someone other than the potential victim – it could be any witness or third party. Closing a matter administratively preserves our ability to reopen a case if and when individuals are ready to participate – giving them the time and space they often need to move forward with an investigation. That is a key reason the center does not have a statute of limitations.
Organizations like U.S. Soccer Federation are finally stepping up to make athlete safety a priority, albeit a few years too late. We recognize and appreciate their efforts, but their expertise lies in competitive athletics, not investigating sensitive matters of sexual misconduct.
Allowing national governing bodies, who often lack the capability, independence and resources, to handle allegations of sexual misconduct would undo years of progress. And while some may think that doing so supports athletes, they’ve clearly forgotten why SafeSport opened its doors in the first place.
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Six years into our efforts to make sport safer, we are at an inflection point. While we’ve made great strides, we know there have been participants in our process who felt that there was poor communication, or that it simply took too long.
Just as we’re driving accountability throughout sport, we are also holding ourselves accountable and are deeply committed to continuous improvement.
We’ve met with soccer players who expressed their concerns in a July letter to Congress, and are soliciting additional input from athletes, survivors and national governing bodies as we conduct a thorough review of our processes – including the use of administrative closure, duration of investigations and communications with parties to ensure fairness, timeliness and trauma sensitivity. We intend to release the results of that work publicly next year.
Reporting abuse and misconduct to the center: If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or misconduct by a participant of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement, you can make a report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Ju’Riese Colón is CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport.