GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

The following Portland Aquatic Club Policy and Agreement is based off a model grievance policy provided by USA Swimming and outlined in the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy. The Portland Aquatic Club (PAC) Grievance Procedure provides swimmers, parents, coaches, club leaders and employees a system to address and report grievances in a productive, systematic way. Following these Procedures provides the appropriate parties a means to properly investigate, intervene, and take disciplinary action when needed.

Where to Report

• For issues dealing with sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and/or sexually explicit or inappropriate communication through social media, please contact U.S. Center for SafeSport at 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or report online.
• For issues dealing with physical abuse, emotional abuse, criminal charges and the use, sale, or distribution of illegal drugs, please contact USA Swimming Safe Sport at [email protected] or report online.
• For issues dealing with known or suspected child abuse, contact State Authorities at 855-503-SAFE (Oregon) or 866-363-4276 (Washington).
• For issues dealing with peer-to-peer bullying, coach-athlete bullying, parent issues, violations of the PAC Code of Conduct and violations of the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy: These issues are handled at the club level following the grievance procedures outlined below. Anonymous reports can be made by filing an Incident Report online.

Whom to Notify of a Grievance (Chain of Command)

Regarding the Conduct of a Swimmer – Contact the swimmer’s coach.

Should a parent or swimmer feel another swimmer’s conduct is inappropriate or violates the PAC Code of Conduct, the parent/swimmer should discuss these concerns with the coach of the swimmer responsible for the violation (Responsible Coach). This complaint should be made in person* or in writing. Coaches will ensure the PAC Board of Directors is notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.

Regarding the Conduct of an Assistant or Site Pool Coach – Contact the Head Coach.

Should a parent or swimmer feel an Assistant or Performance Level Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or in violation of any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer should notify the Head Coach of this violation. This complaint should be made in person* or in writing. The Head Coach will ensure that the PAC Board of Directors is notified of the complaint and will participate in assessing behavior.

Regarding Conduct of Head Coach – Notify the PAC Board President.

Should a parent or swimmer feel the Head Coach’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer should notify the President of the Board of Directors of this violation. This complaint should be made in person or in writing. If the President is not immediately available, this complaint may be presented to any member of the Board of Directors, with notification made in writing to the President. This complaint will be subject to review and discussion by the full Board of Directors.

Regarding Board of Director Member Conduct – Notify the PAC Board President.

Should a parent or swimmer feel a Board Member’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer should notify the Board President of this violation in person or in writing. If the Board President is the Director whose conduct is in question, the Board Chair should be notified in writing or in person instead of the Board President. This complaint will be reviewed and discussed by the full Board of Directors.

Regarding Parent or Swim Official Conduct – Notify the Head Coach and Board President.

Should a parent or swimmer feel another PAC parent’s or an official’s conduct is inappropriate or violates any Club policies or procedures, the parent/swimmer should notify the Head Coach and Board President of this violation in person or in writing. This complaint will be reviewed and discussed by the full Board of Directors.

*Note:  With the exception of issues which immediately affect the health and safety of swimmers, all matters should be discussed before or after a coaching session, as coaches should not be expected to deal with issues during water time.

How Grievances Will Be Handled

The Board of Directors have the authority to impose penalties for infractions of the PAC Athlete, Parent and Coach Codes of Conduct or any behavior(s) they deem not conducive to the best interests of the Club or other swimmers. Consequences are at the sole discretion of the coaches and/or PAC Board of Directors and may include, but aren’t limited to, verbal warnings, dismissal from practice, contacting parents, temporary suspension from club activities and expulsion. Involved parties will be informed of the processes and range of potential consequences. The U.S. Center for SafeSport, USA Swimming and local law enforcement (if applicable) will be contacted within 24 hours if a coach, parent, or swimmer violates the SafeSport Code for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements, the USA Swimming Code of Conduct, Athlete Protection Policy, or local laws.

1. Gathering Information: The appropriate individuals will contact the person who filed the grievance and the person against whom the grievance is being filed, to ask questions about what happened. In addition, other witnesses may be contacted for more information. It will be the responsibility of the Board of Directors and/or the Head Coach to track, and securely safe any information brought fourth during a grievance investigation. The PAC Feedback Form may be used for this purpose.
2. Assessing Behavior: The behavior of the person(s) against which the grievance was brought, will be assessed using club policies and facility rules, USA Swimming Code of Conduct, USA Swimming Safe Sport policies, as well as applicable local and state laws.
3. Consequences will be given, and disciplinary action will be taken, if appropriate. These consequences and disciplinary actions will be decided using the following general guidelines:
   a. Nature of the misconduct
   b. Severity of the misconduct
   c. Prior disciplinary actions
   d. Adverse effect of the misconduct
   e. Application of the Code of Conduct