My son competes at a high level in competitive swimming. There…

I will attach a copy of the complaint that we sent to Swim Alberta at the end of this response. It will give you a better idea of what is happening.

My wife and I do feel that this is a breach of privacy as our son was attending a therapy program at an alternative school for three months. Refer to the two comments highlighted in the letter to Swim Alberta.

We aren't sure if the discrimination is a result of the perceived disbaility. In the end, our son was not diagnosed with a mental health issue. However, the coach accused our son of being a bully and didn't talk to us. When we approached him and the club's president they woudldn't provide any details. Since this time the behaviour towards our son has not been positive. Furthermore, our son announced to the coach in May that he would be accepting a scholarship to complete his senior year of high school at a private school in Virginia. The coach has been really nasty since this announcement. He probably figured that he didn't have to woory about our son again and could do whatever he pleased and we would be history.

We have submitted the complaint to Swim Alberta and they indicated that based on the contents of the message that they would be investigating the complaint. This investigation will begin at the end of July since most of board is in Montreal for swim meets.

Please refer to the following letter sent to Swim Alberta:

Strictly Confidential

July 2, 2009-07-02

Disciplinary Committee

Swim Alberta

Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6

To the attention of the disciplinary committee:

Please find a written complaint that describes a string of both confidentiality breaches and harassing behaviors exhibited by the coach of the xxxx Swim Club. The incidents date back to February 2009 and culminate June 30, 2009 at Senior Provincials. The reason the issues were not brought forth prior to now:

• 1) We were hoping that the issues would stop.
• 2) We were not aware of the fourteen day limitation.

Regardless these issues are serious and we hope that you consider them as such. The purpose of Swim Alberta's Code of Conduct and Ethics is to ensure a safe and positive environment within Swim Alberta programs, activities and events, by making all individuals aware that there is an expectation of appropriate behavior, consistent with the values of Swim Alberta, at all times. Our son's experience has been anything but safe and positive over the last few months.

Our son is in grade eleven, attends High School in Calgary and has swum for the ABC Swim Club since the fall of 2007. His coach during this time was and is Joe Coach. Both the confidentiality breaches and most of the harassing behavior have been committed by Joe Coach. In chronological order, please consider the following events:

• 1) In December, 2008, it was determined that our son would attend an alternative school to establish the presence of any mental illnesses and/or behavioral issues. The length of the treatment was to be three months. In the end, it was determined that no illness was found. One benefit of the program is that our son became a very respectable teenager.

Prior to the start of the treatment session we spoke with the coach about the situation and indicated that the treatment is confidential and that our son's swim schedule might be compromised at times. We also iterated that this is a very stressful and discouraging time, not only for our son, but also his brothers and sister and parents.

In February, 2009, the coach made at least two comments in front of several other swimmers that breached the confidentiality that my son was entitled to.

Comment #1: "Johnny do you attend the school for the dumb and dumber?"

Comment #2: "Johnny, is this the school where the lunch lady is the teacher?"

These comments were not only disrespectful, they breached the Coach/Swimmer trust relationship, caused additional stress at a time when we were all very anxious, was extremely embarrassing and alienated our son from most of the other swimmers. Our son found it very difficult to continue swimming under the circumstances. I am sure that you are aware of how rumors spread. The swimming community is small and I am sure that swimmers outside of the swim club family know about his health treatments. In fact our son was dating a girl on the swim club and she asked him if he was a psychopath. This is not what we expected from the coach.

Placing swimmers in an embarrassing situation is a form of harassment as well.

• 2) Shortly after these comments, our son came home from swimming one evening and told me that the coach accused him of bullying another swim member. Neither the coach nor the club president initially called us. I asked our son what it was about and he said he didn't have a clue. He also indicated that if the behavior didn't stop that he would be disciplined (or even kicked off the club). We took exception to this tactic. Our son didn't even know what they were talking about. When our son asked the coach what the details were the coach wouldn't come forward. We thought that the coach was intimidating our son. We decided to call him on this issue. He wouldn't tell us the details either. How can a situation be corrected if we don't know the details? How can someone be accused without the details? To us this was extreme intimidation on a child. We had a heated meeting with the club president and the coach. We wanted to know the details. We didn't want to know the name, but at least what happened. They could not tell us the details. We are wondering to this day if this was a fabrication. There couldn't have been anything substantial or they should have been able to tell us the details. It may, or may not, have happened. However, we were entitled to the details. Intimidation is a form of harassment.

It was at this meeting that we brought up the issue of confidentiality breaches. The coach admitted it and apologized in front of our son, the club president and ourselves. However, this is a serious issue and the issue was never brought to the board. A simple apology, given the coaches continued harassing behavior is not acceptable and, in our minds should be dealt with appropriately.

At the time, we had liked the coach (at least up until the point). Our son liked him and we agreed to let bygones by bygones. The relationship between the club president, the coach and our family, including our son, has been anything but. As an example, parents were asked to consider fast tracking officiating courses to become a referee. I volunteered immediately to the president and I was overlooked. Frequently, when my son passed the president in the hallway he would look the other way. It was our impression that we were perceived as trouble makers. My wife and I felt alienated from the swim club family.

The relationship has apparently worsened as time progressed between the coach and my son.

• 3) Our son received a scholarship/financial assistance offer to complete his senior year of high school at a private school in Virginia. Accordingly, my wife and son went on a fact finding trip to the school in Mid May. Upon his return, our son decided that he would indeed attend the private school in Virginia. This is a great opportunity to increase his grades and receive a college scholarship in the United States.

Since his commitment to attend school in Virginia, the coach has stopped coaching him. In fact the coach has been downright rude and abusive. The coach complained that he has missed too many practices and that he has seen (in a sarcastic manner) the Virginia coach more than him during the month. Our son's interpretation was sarcastic and belligerent. We called the coach and asked what the purpose of this comment was? He said there was no purpose. We asked what he hoped to gain from this comment. He said nothing.

Our son had also missed swimming for a week do to a sustained cold/flu/fever. He was on antibiotics. The coach didn't seem to care about this either.

• 4) After his return in May, our son was also experiencing a sore shoulder. He went to see the doctor and the doctor told him to restrict his swimming to "kick". As instructed by the doctor, our son was performing kick. The coach kicked him out, told him to go home and indicated that if he couldn't swim, he didn't belong there. Once again, this is exclusion from his peers and verbal abuse.

• 5) At the wrap-up banquet on June 21, 2009, we perceived the coach deliberately snubbed our son. While this isn't a written rule it is deliberate exclusion and harassment. At each year-end banquet the coach acknowledges the graduating swimmers and the swimmers moving on (verbatim in his speech). There is no mention of our son in this list. We were all very disappointed. Once again he was excluded from the swim club Family. Taken by itself, this wouldn't be an issue. But this is consistent with his behavior up to and including Senior Provincials.

• 6) Prior to Senior Provincials, the head coach left for the east coast without telling the majority of the swimmers. The swimmers were disappointed as was my son. He just got up and left practice early on a Wednesday and didn't return until the last two days of provincials. Another coach was left in charge for the first two days of provincials.

• 7) The coach returned to Provincials for Monday evening Finals (June 29). My son showed up ten minutes early (according to the direction of the alternative coach). When our son was about to jump into the pool, the coach said that he was going to scratch him. our son asked him why? He wouldn't give him an appropriate answer. Then the coach, with sarcasm, asked if our son was going to swim that evening? Our son replied "yes". After our son jumped into the warm-up lane, the coach told him to get out and go warm-up somewhere else. The coach didn't care where he swam. Traditionally, the team always warms up in the same lane. In fact, there were only three other swimmers in the lane at the time (all from the same club as our son). This is a fifty meter pool and there was more than ample room. My son asked "why"? The coach's response was because he said so. Once again, this continues the pattern of exclusion, abuse and harassment.

• 8) My wife and I watched finals on Monday evening. I watched preliminaries on Tuesday and my wife watched finals on Tuesday. In all my son's races, the coach never attempted to speak with our son before, or after, any of his races. I intentionally watched as he spoke with other swimmers without fail. Once again exclusion, abuse and harassment. The coach's job is to speak to each swimmer before and after each race.

All we wanted for our son was to complete the year on a happy note. We gave him the summer off so that he could be with his grandparents before he moves to Virginia. The coach wouldn't allow an amicable ending.

In response to our concerns, we left a voice mail with the coach, the club president and an email for the club president. All these messages were placed on Monday evening. We finally received a very short email back from the club president on Wednesday afternoon indicating that he would look into the situation. Given that there is a potential "agency" issue between the coach and the president/board, we don't feel that anything will be done. We have not heard back yet, although there hasn't been a significant time delay yet. However, given the serious nature of our allegations, we were hoping to hear back sooner than later. A simple apologize is not good enough. We feel that if our allegations are proven to be true, that some discipline at some level is warranted with the coach. After, he broke the law when he divulged issues regarding our son's mental health treatment.

We sincerely XXXXX XXXXX you take this issue sincerely XXXXX XXXXX a full investigation. After all, Swim Alberta is committed to a safe and healthy environment free from harassment. We hope the buck stops here and that future swimmers do not have to endure the abuse that our son as endured over the last six months.

Thank you for your cooperation.

I hope this helps clarify the issue.