The Cadets and GH history of sexual abuse (news article)

[garfield]

2 minutes ago, 84BDsop said:

But in the real world, yes.

 

Example from the sport of fencing.    A few years back we had a club owner who groomed a 14 year old girl.  Cutting to the chase, all of us who hold a professional membership with the US Fencing Assoc (as I do, as a national level armorer) must be certified via SafeSport...and sexual issues are a major component of that training.

I have to get recertified with an FBI background check every 2 years, or I can't be hired by USFA to work a national event.

 

We just had one coach in Florida get permanently banned from the sport duie to his filming girls in the bathroom secretly.

 

Sadly, it's everywhere, and the metoo movement is causing victims to finally speak out.

You don't have a Board that employs you to lead a group of, largely, minors.

The USFA is not the same kind of association as DCI.

Each corps is judged on its own merits.  If there is no governing body to expect consistency, then each org is free to develop their own practices.  There is no legal authority for an attorney to presume a consistently lax policy (that would allow such allegations as against Hop) exists in all corps.

If another, unassociated, corps can demonstrate best practices, they can stay above the cesspool of accusation.  

Your example is not apt or parallel, IMO.

 

[GUARDLING]

1 minute ago, gbass598 said:

From the article:

The board of directors for Youth Education in the Arts was made aware of several of the women’s stories in January. The women had agreed to share their accounts after being contacted by a group of alums of the organization who had concerns about Hopkins' leadership.

thats the point I was making in earlier statement..Not taking away from the seriousness of the topic or legitimacy of any victim he just may have given some the fuel to go after him 

[FTNK]

I don’t see how YEA survives this long term. Maybe for the best. It’s just marching band

[Jeff Ream]

28 minutes ago, garfield said:

Not legally...

 

reputational damage can be far worse than legal aspects.

 

Those of us around this game for a long time have heard whispers and rumors, and not just about George. Look at the big thread from last fall. Somehow it was the activity's hidden secret at least as far as wide spread public knowledge. Now I know the #metoo movement at times may feel like it's pile on mentality, claims coming from everywhere, are they credible, too old, etc.....but even if nothing legally happens, the court of public opinion has destroyed people, companies and institutions. 

 

If I am a parent, I'm #### sure on the horn with my kids corps today. Or on the horn with a corps my kid wants to be in. If I am a major sponsor/partner, 1) you have to worry about being tied, and 2), given the activity's history, worry what skeletons are in your closet that could come out. If I am am Tour Partner...crap do i have to have extra security in place? The list of ways this will trickle down is unmeasurable at this time. Plus, will this embolden others to come forward with their stories? It could grow exponentially. So my friend, the legal aspects aren't the only thing at stake here, and honestly, could be the least damaging piece of the pie.

 

I've wanted to refrain from passing judgement in this situation, knowing what I've known and held close for 4 months. But I know Megh. I know the twins. I know which side I stand on.....and regardless who is or isnt guilty, i pray for all....and the activity. Because, while doing whatever those in power in the activity have felt best for themselves...legally especially....they've now got to face the biggest can of reputational whoop ### they've ever seen.

 

Take that from a guy who works for America's most hated banking institution ( technically a subsidiary but still). Legal aspects be ###### my friend.....this is going to be far reaching and damaging in myriads of ways to the ENTIRE activity. And we all know there's plenty of skeletons out there still hiding in closets.

[NakedEye]

A few months ago, when a few members on here were alluding to some big news brewing under the surface related to Hopkins/Cadets/YEA, I had a discussion with one of my Cadets alumni friends. We were both in 100% agreement that despite the years of various organizational/management/personnel issues,  the one thing that could finally bring him down would be something related to the #metoo movement. My friend had personally witnessed too much "on the edge" behavior to think that more hadn't happened behind the scenes. When an individual becomes too powerful and protected, well, we have seen it over and over again now, Weinstein, and so many others.

This is a sad/infuriating, but not at all unexpected story. I do hope that it can lead to the sort of scorched earth cleaning and rebuilding process that has been so needed for the organization for years. The alumni need to force out the enabling board and start fresh from the pool of hundreds and hundreds of talented individuals who have been resistant to becoming involved under the current leadership.

It will be a rough road for YEA and all of DCI for a while, but hopefully will lead to a better future.

As an aside: "never discusses his nor anyone else's personal life with anyone at work," WHAT?! Who advised him to say that? He discusses personal matters with the WORLD via his constant social media barrage. 

Sad. sad. sad.

[AlexL]

Absolutely, @Jeff Ream

This is an activity in which parents trust their kids to be left in the hands of staff for 2-3 months, 24 hours a day, hundreds to thousands of miles away from home, when many times these kids have never spent more than a week or two fully away. 

This kind of damage will bleed over. Parents are going to be asking more questions. Prospective sponsors are going to be asking "what are you doing to make sure this isnt happening in your organization, as we only want to associate our brand with you if you are seen as a positive organization".

I'm not sure what the next steps are. Should DCI start its own independent inquiry and effort to try to get people to come forward to DCI so that problem elements can be rooted out of the activity in a proactive manner, rather than through the press? 

Edited April 5, 2018 by AlexL

[Jeff Ream]

3 minutes ago, NakedEye said:

A few months ago, when a few members on here were alluding to some big news brewing under the surface related to Hopkins/Cadets/YEA, I had a discussion with one of my Cadets alumni friends. We were both in 100% agreement that despite the years of various organizational/management/personnel issues,  the one thing that could finally bring him down would be something related to the #metoo movement. My friend had personally witnessed too much "on the edge" behavior to think that more hadn't happened behind the scenes. When an individual becomes too powerful and protected, well, we have seen it over and over again now, Weinstein, and so many others.

This is a sad/infuriating, but not at all unexpected story. I do hope that it can lead to the sort of scorched earth cleaning and rebuilding process that has been so needed for the organization for years. The alumni need to force out the enabling board and start fresh from the pool of hundreds and hundreds of talented individuals who have been resistant to becoming involved under the current leadership.

It will be a rough road for YEA and all of DCI for a while, but hopefully will lead to a better future.

As an aside: "never discusses his nor anyone else's personal life with anyone at work," WHAT?! Who advised him to say that? He discusses personal matters with the WORLD via his constant social media barrage. 

Sad. sad. sad.

and the old blog that was tied to the YEA page wasn't it?

[gbass598]

8 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

thats the point I was making in earlier statement..Not taking away from the seriousness of the topic or legitimacy of any victim he just may have given some the fuel to go after him 

After reading it, that was my concern as well is that this coming forward has an alterior motive to use this. If so, that small group of alums should be ashamed to exploit their stories for this purpose. It is one thing to use this as a way to help prevent future behavior. It is another thing to do this just for spite if you don’t like the direction of the corps.

 

[TwoValves]

20 minutes ago, garfield said:

You don't have a Board that employs you to lead a group of, largely, minors.

The USFA is not the same kind of association as DCI.

Each corps is judged on its own merits.  If there is no governing body to expect consistency, then each org is free to develop their own practices.  There is no legal authority for an attorney to presume a consistently lax policy (that would allow such allegations as against Hop) exists in all corps.

If another, unassociated, corps can demonstrate best practices, they can stay above the cesspool of accusation.  

Your example is not apt or parallel, IMO.

 

Not in ANY WAY defending the actions of what is alleged in this story, but I have to point out a comment that is factually inaccurate.  In Top 12 corps, the rosters are largely over the age of 18, which makes them legally not minors.   Again, sexual abuse is not excused no matter the victims age, but I do cringe a little at comparisons to the Sandusky case.  Those were ALL young children - and that is not who participates in DCI.  The majority of the allegations here happened in the hallways of the workplace, and involved adults.  It's bad, and it should be reported and investigated and action should be taken.  But it's a far cry from child abuse.  

[NakedEye]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

and the old blog that was tied to the YEA page wasn't it?

Exactly. I had forgotten about that. His personal life musings were officially tied to the corporate entity.