TRIGGER WARNING - F/up On Abuse By Geddert

[makam]

Well fork. On the one hand I am glad his victims are spared a trial (though likely a much more sympathetic trial than most assault victims face) on the other hand, I am furious they are denied justice.

ETA: l am also upset that the human trafficking charges didn’t get tested in court. But the fact that they were made should make a LOT of other coaches really really think twice about their abusive methods.

 

[hav12gym31]

I strongly believe he knew this was coming and sold the gym earlier this week however I am shocked about the suicide. I feel really badly for the victims. I hope they can get some closure.

 

[irichluck21]

Good riddance. What an F’ing coward.

I am sorry but I cannot be sad that a monster like him ended his life. Saves the state of Michigan money for what would likely have been life without parole.

Only thing I am upset about are that his victims won’t be able to see him get convicted.

 

[Caligym]

I assume this is done partly for the safety of law enforcement officers. Safer to have someone turn themselves in, when possible, than show up at the home of someone who could be armed. Suicide by his own hands is a preferable outcome to suicide by cop.

 

[JaJa]

Yes, I am sure. The AG would have been in touch with his attorneys to arrange for self surrender. And his attorneys would have been talking to the AG all throughout the investigation anyway. And yes, he was wrapping up his affairs. I am just not at all shocked by the suicide. He knew where this was headed and a guy like him could not deal with being in prison. He just couldn’t.

 

[tempest]

wow… what a coward… I wonder what else is going to come out

 

[JaJa]

Its safer for law enforcement, its safer for innocent civilians who could get caught in the crossfire. Its done all the time where there has been an on going investigation and the defense attorneys negotiate a self surrender. Its of course always best for the defendant. You arrange a time to self surrender, arraignment is set, you have a higher likelihood of bail etc etc

 

[rlayt]

Not what I expected to find when I returned from the grocery store. A lot happened in just a few days. He had to have known because the business was sold, he goes somewhere warm, charges brought, then he kills himself. What’s next?

Not to make light of suicide here. If you feel yourself thinking in that direction please talk to someone.

 

[audie83]

I feel horrible for his family and even worse for his victims who were denied justice. He always creeped me out. Figures there was something wrong about him.

It’s petty, but it annoyed the heck out of me, the way he kept inserting himself between the girls for photo ops at the 2012 Games after Team Finals. I didn’t care that he was head coach. There was something about his lurking/hovering around them that really bugged me. Take one team shot, along with the other coaches and be done with it.

 

[JaJa]

I am wondering how Jordyn is handling this. Whatever her own experience with him was this has to be horrible for her on many levels.

 

[emmade]

What a gutless b*stard. I’m shocked, but not surprised by his actions.

I’ll read up about all the charges later when I have time, but I was not expecting human trafficking charges. Sounds interesting from a legal perspective.

Just wow. I hope Jordyn and all his other gymnasts are okay.

 

[esta]

I’m actually wondering what Thema Williams is feeling. She had an Olympics ripped away from her when he abandoned her at the Rio Test Event, giving Marisa Dick that last minute spot.

 

[cats]

I’m shocked. I didn’t think there was anything left to shock the gymnastics world when it came to mistreating athletes, but mother of god, human trafficking.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I’m not sure it’s petty at all. It spoke a lot about his attitude. Sometimes these things we might think are relatively minor can be very telling. By the same token, I always thought his attitude to the teenage Russians his athlete was competing with was very skeevy. It all paints a picture of someone who doesn’t really give a ■■■■ about the humans involved.

 

[JaJa]

Audie I agree with AR that your reaction was not petty at all. His behavior at London 2012 was a glimpse into this man’s mindset. It was all about him, other people were merely pawns in a game designed primarily for his glory. It was insightful on your part, not petty.

 

[JaJa]

Right. But for her the response is likely a more obvious and unconflicted one. If you see what I mean.

 

[RedBirdie]

A lot (most? all?) elite coaches are in it for the glory, but Geddert’s brazenness was unusual even for that group.

I’ve never forgotten reading an article decades ago, where Geddert talked about his first experience coaching elites (Katie Teft, at Great Lakes Gymnastics). He said, basically, he’ll never coach another elite unless they’re an Olympic shoo-in because it was too much effort with too little reward for him. Not, the elite world is crazy and unhealthy and so we are not going to go down that road. Nope, he didn’t get the rewards he wanted having a bubble elite, so screw the kids, screw what goals they might have, no more elite until he decides he has a golden athlete. I must have read that in the late '90s, maybe very early '00s, but it always stuck with me, how it was about him, not the gymnasts. And he didn’t even attempt to hide it.

 

[audie83]

Thank you Jaja and AR. When you both put it that way, it makes me feel a bit better.

It’s a shocking development and reminds me of the late U.S. pairs skater and coach John Coughlin - who also denied his victims justice through his own suicide. Smh.

 

[JaJa]

Right but although they charged Geddert under the Michigan Human Trafficking laws it was a charge based on the behavior which frankly we all knew about. Abusive, coercive coaching on steroids. It was not that Geddert was engaged in what we ordinarily think of as human trafficking. But in addition to providing Prosecutors with a tool with which they may go after other abusive coaches I think that the framing of Geddert’s behavior as human trafficking and forced labor may instigate a very healthy moment of introspection and then debate within the elite gymnastics world. Abusive coaching is nothing new in the elite and professional sports world. Its practically ubiquitous. I personally think that it is very different when it happens in elite gymnastics primarily because of the age of the athletes. These are minors. These are children it happens to. Its different.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Potentially it would fit within the modern slavery legislation here, so I can believe the same might be true for the US since you use the Palermo Protocol too. Not the major concern here at the moment, but it would’ve been really interesting to see how they were going to prosecute this.