Athletes Equity Resource Center

1202 SW 17th St, Suite 201-172

Ocala, FL 34471

AthletesEquityResourceCenter.com

AERCsports@gmail.com

Athletes Equity Resource Center (AERC) held its fourth public meeting on February 19, 2024, in Wellington, FL, and Beverly Hills, CA. Presentations by attorneys and investigators handling disciplinary cases on behalf of both complainants and respondents in NBG and SafeSport resolution proceedings. AERC board members were also in attendance.

Several key speakers shared their comments, knowledge, and insights:

Bonnie Navin, our longtime legal stalwart, outlined the need for more due process in SafeSport’s disciplinary procedures. She also stated that the goals talked about in previous meetings have been attained. Having exhausted administrative remedies, the next step is Federal Court. We are now at that point.

Russell Prince of Bryan & Prince, PA, described his experiences as an attorney in 38 different NGB SafeSport cases. One thing stands out in all of these cases: although it is clear that the Center for SafeSport is needed, weaponization of the SafeSport code was never the intent of Congress. Yet reviews of their issues have not protected athletes from false and weaponized claims. Mr. Prince has cases pending in the near future that include a criminal court factor.

His sports law firm, Bryan & Prince PA, also offers a SafeSport training seminar for coaches and parents. It educates them on how to avoid SafeSport code issues that make it easy for someone to misuse the code. For more information about this, go to BryanPrincePA.com.

Tamara Tucker of Tucker Law PLC spoke as the lead attorney heading the federal court case that will be filed within the next few weeks. She is a tough, smart, articulate legal advocate with decades of experience, and she is the right attorney to take this issue to federal court.

Steve Silvey of Patterson Law Firm in Chicago discussed the American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitration findings that support bringing this matter to federal court. He presented the exact language from the ruling, which suggests that if the question regarding conflict of interest between NGBs and SafeSport issues is asked, due process procedures will prevail, and change will be required.

Bruce Tucker Smith discussed his time as an investigator for SafeSport and the prevailing administrative disinterest in handling cases fairly. He identified a clear sport bias and suggested that equestrians in particular are targeted. Furthermore, such serious administrative malfeasance indicates that an entire change of leadership is needed at the Center for Safe Sport.

Michael Romm addressed the pending IOC case. He explained that the IOC requires hearings before sanctions in its charter, which oversees each country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC). In the USA, that’s the USOPC. A number of cases will be brought together to address the IOC with regard to this violation by NGBs in the USA.  

Donations were received at both locations of AERC’s public meeting. Thank you.

AERC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so all contributions are tax deductible.

Donations may be made via AthletesEquityResourceCenter.com. If you’re asking, “How can I help?”,

The answer is, please go to the AERC website and donate. We are 75% of the way to covering the federal court costs, which Diane has negotiated with a capped amount that AERC will be responsible for paying. AES will be contributing to the declaratory judgement federal court filing.

                                                         AERC 501(c)(3) donations are tax deductible 

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