Butt-slapping accusation leads to 20 months of limbo for teen in slow-moving SafeSport Center case

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

DENVER (AP) — For 20 months, a teenage swimmer has been awaiting a decision about accusations filed against him by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. In April 2022, SafeSport sent the teen a letter saying he had allegedly engaged in behavior that constituted sexual misconduct. It took three months for him to learn what the accusation was: That he had allegedly slapped a teammate on the butt. Police investigated and dismissed the allegations. But the swimmer remains in limbo. SafeSport was established in 2017 to punish abuse in Olympic sports in the aftermath of the Larry Nassar gymnastics molestation cases. The swimmer’s situation illustrates how the center’s wide mandate has left its investigators overwhelmed by thousands of cases a year that extend beyond sexual abuse and Olympic athletes.