It's ugly. Really ugly.
The head instructor at GB Yakima has been arrested for having sex with an underage student. I don't really know the guy... he came to class at the Seattle pod sometimes on weekends, so of course I saw him around and even shook his hand from time to time in line and at comps. Don't think I ever rolled with him. As soon as I saw who it was, though, I had an immediate strong suspicion of who the student was. Someone I don't know well enough and didn't have enough contact with to be beating myself up about not having seen something, certainly.... and yet...... what does it say that I instantly thought, "OMG, it's got to be ____"? I seriously have met her glancingly like two or three times in the space of five years. What does it say about the people who DID train regularly with these two? Why the fuck didn't they see something? Say something? *DO* something? (I know, I'm pissed off and looking for targets to blame.)
GB put out a statement saying the instructor has been suspended, and that our hearts all go out to the survivor. I was relieved. I am aware that GB Pacific Northwest has a very lively drama department and gossip mill, but I tend to stay strictly out of that sort of thing, and open discussions about problem issues seem to be rare. I would have been really disturbed if there had been silence on the topic. Will be watching to see how this is handled. Going to be a painful, difficult mess for everyone, at any rate. None more so than the young lady. (Were there more???)
This is really awful. Sick to my stomach. Probably going to be ranting on this some more later.
The head instructor at GB Yakima has been arrested for having sex with an underage student. I don't really know the guy... he came to class at the Seattle pod sometimes on weekends, so of course I saw him around and even shook his hand from time to time in line and at comps. Don't think I ever rolled with him. As soon as I saw who it was, though, I had an immediate strong suspicion of who the student was. Someone I don't know well enough and didn't have enough contact with to be beating myself up about not having seen something, certainly.... and yet...... what does it say that I instantly thought, "OMG, it's got to be ____"? I seriously have met her glancingly like two or three times in the space of five years. What does it say about the people who DID train regularly with these two? Why the fuck didn't they see something? Say something? *DO* something? (I know, I'm pissed off and looking for targets to blame.)
GB put out a statement saying the instructor has been suspended, and that our hearts all go out to the survivor. I was relieved. I am aware that GB Pacific Northwest has a very lively drama department and gossip mill, but I tend to stay strictly out of that sort of thing, and open discussions about problem issues seem to be rare. I would have been really disturbed if there had been silence on the topic. Will be watching to see how this is handled. Going to be a painful, difficult mess for everyone, at any rate. None more so than the young lady. (Were there more???)
This is really awful. Sick to my stomach. Probably going to be ranting on this some more later.
Ugly business indeed. I think GB did the right thing by informing and suspending instead of not saying/doing anything at all.
ReplyDeleteGlad GB did that. Now the IBJJF needs to decertify him of his black belt.
ReplyDelete