Update on accused coaches

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Dan_ref
Hey Mark, I feel bad for your friend, really.

But as an uninvolved bystander posting in the intraweb from 2,500 miles away I have to ask:

You, as a middle aged male, are completely and utterly surprised by some untoward behavior he might have exhibitted towards teenaged girls?

As I said, I feel bad & I hope he gets off...but...well, you know...

As a middle-aged female, I understand your point of view. I had some friends who I respected and admired very much. I liked them, trusted them, thought I knew them. One day, we got a phone call. Someone had attempted to murder the wife. The long and the short, which took several weeks to discover, was that it was the husband. He also had been sexually abusing the 7 adopted children. He was my son's soccer coach for two years. He was an elder in the church. My own "radar" , which I've always felt was highly sensitive, never bleeped once. You just never know.

And yet, I find myself resisting the cynicism that says, "I"m not surprised when Johnson is accused of whatever. Hey, he's male. What do you expect?" I want to believe that some people are above reproach, and that there are still folks out there that know the difference between right and wrong. That say, "Yea, it's tempting, but I'm not going to." I guess it's naive, but I don't like the way I feel when I'm suspicious of everyone, and never fully trust anyone. So, at this point, I'm still willing to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt. I'm waiting for time to tell.

I'm also wondering, if the allegation involves an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl, why the wording is "violating professional standards" rather than "sexual abuse". I wonder if he had an affair with the young woman who stands accused. But then, that wouldn't need a criminal investigation, would it? Very puzzling.