Why is Mark Schubert Still Getting Away?

Over a week ago, published only by the Orange County Register/SCNG, there was one more log added to the towering bonfire of terrible things that Mark Schubert has done during his coaching career.

Perhaps, as I wrote most recently this is all, finally headed somewhere. But as I write this, Mark Schubert remains the Head Coach of the Mission Viejo Nadadores.

The club has employed the preferred strategy of all organizations when faced with such serious allegations agains their coach. Do nothing at all. Say nothing at all, and wait USA Swimming or the US Center for Safe Sport (who are also absolutely amazing at doing and saying very little) to handle it. 

Might I suggest a better solution? If Mark Schubert was the principle of Mission Viejo High School, someone came forward to say that during his tenure she was sexually assaulted by students and teachers at his school and that he did nothing, he would be suspended immediately.

The school district would actively be seeking out information to ascertain what had happened. Instead, we get the swimming solution that has always "worked" which is that you just do nothing and say nothing and wait for everything to go away.

This strategy strongly benefits the status quo. Mark Schubert is the status quo in swimming. Do whatever you want, ethical or not. Invite a 15 year old boy to come out to train with and live with you? As has been pointed out, the swimmer's parents appear "supportive" of the move, but is it ethical for a coach to live with a swimmer under the same roof?

The final chilling implications of the Orange County piece by Scott Reid is this. There are possibly two swimming disciples of Schubert still out there in the swimming world, having gotten away with this heinous act for four decades. 

We've already seen the havoc that Schubert's protege Scott MacFarland has wreaked. How many more are out there doing as they please and justifying it because they get "results"?

In the meantime, we do not need to bury our heads in the sand like the folks at Mission Viejo. We don't need to invite Mark Schubert to speak at clinics or into our "Halls of Fame", or make some agreement for former swimmers from our college to represent Mission Viejo all to pave the way to his big comeback.

We can do our best to put a little bit of pressure on a man who has stood smugly against the real change our sport needs.