A Nova Scotia weightlifting coach has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl, more than five months after three different women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior.
According to Halifax District RCMP, they received a report on June 28 of a sexual assault near Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, which sparked a criminal investigation.
“RCMP officers have learned that a 32-year-old man had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, over whom he had authority,” an RCMP information officer said in a statement. communicated. CTV National News. “On August 30, 2022, the now 33-year-old man was arrested and later released on conditions.”
The following month, on September 28, Isaac James Smith of Beaver Bank was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual touching while in a position of trust. Nova Scotia prosecutors say the charges stem from offenses allegedly committed between Jan. 1 and June 24. The charges have not been proven in court.
COMPLAINTS FROM THREE WOMEN
More than five months before the charges, on April 21, three different women who said they had trained with Smith filed complaints about him with Weightlifting Nova Scotia (WNS), which oversees and promotes the sport in the province. CTV National News spoke to two of them in Bedford, Nova Scotia
“He made comments about my weakness, the weight I was losing and, the last straw, he said, ‘You know you look thin and skinny but at least you haven’t lost your ass'” Haley Warnica said
“I saw him treat people around me like garbage, which you would think would be a red flag for me, but he was so good at manipulating you into thinking he’s the best coach,” added Jane Nicholson.
As a result of their complaints, Smith received an eight-month suspension from WNS competitions, events, programs and initiatives after an independent investigator “determined that there were 18 separate allegations of mistreatment” and “at least 30 violations of the WNS code of conduct”. Ethics,” according to an Aug. 10 notice on the WNS website. Ethical violations reportedly included unwelcome sexualized comments and athlete-shaming. The suspension did not impact Smith’s private coaching business, over which WNS has no control.
CTV National News has reviewed the investigator’s letter of findings, which has been distributed to affected parties. It describes inappropriate comments about the plaintiffs’ body, weight and diet, as well as the regular use of the “silent treatment” when Smith’s instructions were not followed. The plaintiffs did not allege inappropriate touching, but claimed that female athletes were treated differently than their male counterparts.
“He was really stalking me on Instagram and seeing if I went out to dinner and posted a glass of wine on my story, I’d go to the gym the next day and he wouldn’t talk to me,” Nicholson said of Smith.
“You can’t go to nationals without a coach, so I started looking elsewhere,” Warnica said. “Once he got wind of this he said he would make sure I didn’t go to the Nationals unless it was with him.”
The August 10 WNS report on their complaints concluded that Smith had “rehabilitation potential” and would have “opportunity to learn from his mistakes and improve his behavior”. After eight months, the suspension could be lifted if he provides “evidence to the WNS Executive that he has spent time reflecting on his behavior and is prepared to uphold the standards of the WNS Code of Ethics.” “.
The suspension was retroactive to April 21, the date of the complaint, meaning it was not in effect – and it was already being investigated – when another complaint came in on June 28.
OTHER COMPLAINT AND CHARGES
In an Oct. 12 statement posted on its website, WNS says it received an additional complaint about Smith on June 28 and issued a “provisional suspension” the following day.
June 28 is also the date Halifax District RCMP received a sexual assault report involving Smith, who was charged on September 28.
“On October 3, 2022, WNS received reports, and subsequently confirmed in Dartmouth Provincial Court, that Smith had been charged with Criminal Code offences,” the October 12 WNS statement explained. “Due to the ongoing criminal proceedings against Smith, the investigation into the June complaint has been delayed indefinitely, which means that Smith’s interim suspension from June 29 remains in effect.”
WNS also notified Weightlifting Canada Weightlifting, the sport’s national governing body, which would have imposed its own provisional suspension.
“There were still board members and athletes training at that gym, including juniors, so including other teenage athletes, they were still training at that gym until August” , Warnica said.
Smith’s next court appearance will be in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on the morning of November 16. Smith, who remains suspended by WNS, was unavailable for comment.
WNS says the outcome of the April complaint was “significantly delayed” due to circumstances beyond its control, and that it has since elected a new board of directors with the aim of “creating safe access to the ‘weightlifting’.
Simona Jellinek is a Toronto-based lawyer who specializes in sexual abuse and assault cases.
“It’s time for these organizations to take a proactive approach to not only address past wrongs, but also to ensure that in the future their athletes, their children are protected,” Jellinek told CTV National News.
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