An outside offered 19 specific recommendations for how the group that oversees the sport in the country and runs the U.S. Open can do more to protect players from abuse such as sexual misconduct.
written by two lawyers 鈥� Mary Beth Hogan and David O鈥橬eil of Washington, D.C.-based firm Debevoise & Plimpton 鈥� was presented to the USTA Board of Directors last week and made public Thursday.
鈥淭he USTA complies with all of the requirements of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and in several respects has policies and procedures that are more protective than the Center鈥檚 requirements. 鈥� We did, however, identify several ways to increase player safety that the USTA should consider adopting,鈥� Hogan and O'Neil wrote.
The report arrives less than two months after by a jury in federal court in Florida following her accusation that the USTA failed to protect her from a coach she said sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was a teenager. O鈥橬eil 鈥� former head of the Justice Department鈥檚 criminal division 鈥� and Hogan wrote that their 鈥渞eview did not encompass the investigations of specific incidents involving allegations of sexual misconduct apart from reviewing whether the USTA met its obligations when abuse was reported to the USTA鈥� and so they 鈥渄id not investigate the events leading to鈥� that Florida case.
They also noted that the USTA was a defendant in four other lawsuits 鈥� one of which resulted in a settlement 鈥� related to sexual abuse of tennis players over the last two decades.
The lawyers said they conducted 鈥渁 thorough independent review鈥� of the USTA鈥檚 鈥渃urrent policies and procedures for preventing, reporting, and responding to reports of abuse, including sexual misconduct.鈥�
The review encompassed interviews with USTA employees and access to hundreds of the organization鈥檚 documents. It also included an assessment of safeguarding at 51 other national governing bodies for sports in the United States, Paralympic sports organizations and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, along with the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
The report says 鈥渢he Board expressed its intention to incorporate鈥� the suggestions into the USTA鈥檚 Safe Play Program.
鈥淲e view this report, including recommendations from the Debevoise team, as an important step forward in our efforts to further ensure a safe environment for all those involved in the sport of tennis," USTA CEO and executive director Lew Sherr said in a written statement. "We are working to implement the recommendations as thoroughly and swiftly as possible.鈥�
The 19 recommendations include:
鈥� seven that 鈥渇ocus on preventing misconduct before it occurs;"
鈥� nine related to keeping 鈥渋ndividuals who are known to have engaged in misconduct鈥� away from USTA facilities and events, including by making information about them more broadly known, because, the report says, 鈥渙ne of the biggest concerns parents and players have relates to individuals who are known to have engaged in misconduct 鈥� either due to an adverse action by the Center or a criminal prosecution 鈥� but attempt to continue participating in tennis,鈥� including by appearing 鈥渁t USTA-sanctioned tournaments as spectators;鈥�
鈥� two 鈥渁imed at expanding the number of individuals who get Safe Play Approved 鈥� and individuals who take SafeSport training, particularly parents,鈥� who 鈥渁re often unaware of the ways in which coaches may manipulate both minor athletes and their parents, and it may be particularly difficult to identify problematic behavior when a parent is hopeful that a coach will help progress their child鈥檚 success in the sport;鈥�
鈥� and one that 鈥渃alls for additional staffing and resources鈥� for the USTA鈥檚 Safe Play Program to help adopt the recommendations.
The review says the USTA has only three employees "dedicated to developing and implementing the Safe Play Program and monitoring compliance,鈥� and its three campuses for player development 鈥� in New York, Florida and California 鈥� 鈥渄o not have staff members designated exclusively to overseeing athlete safety.鈥�
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP鈥檚 tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here:
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AP tennis:
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
