(Reuters) – Former Canadian women’s gymnastics coach David Brubaker has been banned for life after an international investigation into multiple complaints against him, the sport’s national governing body said.
Brubaker, who coached the Canadian team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was suspended by Gymnastics Canada in 2017 after he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual crimes.
He was acquitted in 2019 of the charges levelled by a former student relating to alleged incidents between 2000 and 2007, when the complainant was between the ages of 12 and 20.
But Gymnastics Canada extended his suspension and launched its own probe in light of written complaints it received.
Brubaker’s wife, Elizabeth, was also suspended in 2019 while she was an elite coach at the Bluewater Gymnastics Club in Sarnia, Ontario. Her suspension has been extended until 2024, Gymnastics Canada said.
The governing body said an independent disciplinary panel found “that Dave and Liz Brubaker did breach the relevant organizational Code of Ethics and Conduct policies for the 1996-2017 period the events allegedly occurred.”
Brubaker could not be reached for comment.
“The Panel ruled that Dave Brubaker is permanently banned and prohibited from any future application or attempt to gain reinstatement, membership, or any other status with Gymnastics Canada member associations or clubs,” it said in a statement.
Gymnastics Canada said the couple have 15 days to appeal the verdict.
Ian Moss, chief executive of the governing body, expressed “gratitude to the athlete complainants for their cooperation, patience, and bravery throughout this very arduous process.”
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru and Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard and Christian Radnedge)
