Ye Olympic skatin' coach be walkin' the plank fer bein' a scallywag! Aye, banished fer life! Arrr!
2024-05-30
Arrr, mateys! Word be spreadin' that the coach of the U.S. Olympic pairs figure skatin' team, Dalilah Sappenfield, has been given the ol' heave-ho with a lifetime ban for alleged abuse! Looks like she'll be walkin' the plank for this one! Aye aye, captain!
In a shocking turn of events, the U.S. Center for SafeSport has slapped a lifetime ban on U.S. Olympic pairs figure skating coach, Dalilah Sappenfield, for her physical and emotional misconduct. This national nonprofit organization, founded in 2017, announced the ban this week, citing forms of abuse including retaliation, violation of policies, and failure to report.The CEO of SafeSport, Ju’Riese Colón, emphasized the importance of culture change in sports, stating that behaviors once tolerated are no longer accepted. The ban comes after a two-year investigation into Sappenfield, who was accused of verbally abusing skaters like Tarah Kayne, leading Kayne to resort to self-harm with a razor blade in 2019.Reports also surfaced of inappropriate behavior towards a 16-year-old Russian pairs skater staying at Sappenfield’s home in 2020. U.S. Figure Skating has adopted the sanction, rendering Sappenfield ineligible until May 29, 2024. Sappenfield has yet to comment on the ban, but it is clear that the tide is turning against toxic behavior in the sports community, with accountability taking root and creating a safer environment for athletes to thrive.For more updates on this story and other sports news, follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.