Chuck Wielgus, the late USA Swimming executive director, said in emails, memos and depositions that Mark Schubert was fired as U.S. national team director in the fall of 2010 because of a pattern of erratic and volatile behavior.
Schubert argues that this characterization is inaccurate.
“The only time I really lost my temper was when I found out that he was calling Dara Torres and asking her if I had an affair with her,” Schubert said in an interview with the Orange County Register. “That was an angry conversation.”
Schubert during his tenure as national team director repeatedly pushed Wielgus and other top USA Swimming officials to launch an investigation into Rick Curl, a world renown club coach who had sexually abused swimmer Kelley Davies Currin beginning when she was 13. Currin swam for Schubert at the University of Texas in the 1980s.
Each time Wielgus and the other officials told Schubert the organization could not start an investigation unless a victim came forward with a complaint.
USA Swimming, Wielgus said, did not investigate rumors.
All of which went through Schubert’s mind when he received a telephone call from Torres in 2010. An upset Torres told Schubert she had just received a call from Wielgus, who asked her if Schubert had a sexual affair with her when she was teenager. Wielgus later said he called Torres after USA Swimming president Jim Wood had relayed a decades-old rumor. Torres trained with Schubert at Mission Viejo in the 1980s, living for a time with Schubert’s family
Schubert, enraged, telephoned Wielgus.
“I called him that day and I said I was very offended that he would call a member of the national team and ask them such an outrageous question,” Schubert said in a deposition.
Torres and Schubert denied there was an improper relationship. “I’m always getting hit with rumors,” Torres said in an interview. Schubert and swimmers who trained with him in the 1980s said another swimmer has admitted to starting the rumor in 1984 because she was jealous of Torres.
“I honestly don’t remember it,” Torres said of Wielgus’ phone call.
“But if it’s in the deposition that I said it, I guess I did,” she continued, referring to Schubert and Wielgus’ deposition comments about Torres calling Schubert upset.
Torres had not come forward to USA Swimming, and, in fact, was startled when she was asked by Wielgus during a telephone call whether Schubert had had a sexual relationship with her, according to Schubert.
“Because Mr. Schubert is an employee of USA Swimming, I felt that, even though it was a rumor, that it was something that needed – that I need to address,” Wielgus said in a deposition. “And I contacted the alleged victim and asked her directly. She absolutely denied that there was any truth to the rumor. And she shared with me the story of how that rumor got started 25 or 26 years ago.”
But Wielgus’ call to Torres also came at a time when he and Schubert increasingly clashed. Most of the friction revolved around Schubert’s plans for a network of elite training groups for post-graduate swimmers, according to Schubert and others familiar to situation. At the heart of Schubert’s plans were what he called Centers of Excellence, like the one where Sean Hutchison coached Ariana Kukors at the Fullerton Aquatic Sports Team.
Wielgus died last year after a long battle with cancer.
In a 2013 deposition, Schubert was reminded that Wielgus had repeatedly told him USA Swimming couldn’t launch an investigation into Curl because a witness had not come forward.
“Correct,” Schubert said.
“But with Ms. Torres, she hadn’t come forward and yet he’s doing an investigation because Mr. Wood asked him to; is that your understanding?”
“That’s correct,” Schubert replied.
“A bit hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?” the lawyer said.
Schubert’s attorney did not let him respond.
