usatoday--2020-09-17--'Criminalization of politics': AG Barr says prosecutors become 'headhunters'

Attorney General William Barr defended his turbulent tenure at the Justice Department Wednesday , claiming that his personal involvement in criminal cases is expressly authorized by presidential appointment and Senate confirmation as the nation 's chief law enforcement officer .
While repeatedly castigated for shielding President Donald Trump and his allies from legal jeopardy , Barr did not refer to specific cases .
But he asserted that career prosecutors can “ sometimes become headhunters.
” “ I see it every day , '' the attorney general said in an address at Hillsdale College .
In the past year , Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lighter sentence for Trump political adviser Roger Stone , while he has also sought to drop the prosecution of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn .
Both cases were brought by former Justice special counsel Robert Mueller who headed the nearly two-year investigation into Russia 's interference in the 2016 election .
More : How many Trump advisers have been criminally charged ?
Manafort , Stone and Steve Bannon makes 7 Justice abruptly abandoned the Flynn case in May , after the retired Army general pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The trial judge continues to challenge the department 's action .
In the Stone case , Barr recommended a lighter sentence for the political operative over the objections of prosecutors following Stone 's conviction for lying to Congress and obstruction .
Trump ultimately granted his friend clemency , saving Stone from a prison sentence of slightly more than three years .
More : Trump grants clemency to ally Roger Stone after railing against 'unfair ' conviction , sentencing '' The men and women who have ultimate authority in the Justice Department are thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have conferred that responsibility , '' Barr said .
`` That blessing by the two political branches of government gives these officials democratic legitimacy that career officials simply do not possess .
`` The same process that produces these officials also holds them accountable , '' the attorney general said .
`` Line prosecutors , by contrast , are generally part of the permanent bureaucracy .
They do not have the political legitimacy to be the public face of tough decisions and they lack the political buy-in necessary to publicly defend those decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn cases , Justice lawyers withdrew from the prosecutions following Barr 's intervention .
`` Our system works best when leavened by judgment , discretion , proportionality , and consideration of alternative sanctions — all the things that supervisors provide , '' the attorney general said .
`` Cases must be supervised by someone who does not have a narrow focus , but who is broad-gauged and pursuing a general agenda ... '' In short , the attorney general , senior ( Justice ) officials , and U.S. attorneys are indeed political .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and necessary sense , '' he said .
`` And because I am ultimately accountable for every decision the department makes , I have an obligation to ensure we make the correct ones .
The attorney general , the assistant attorneys general , and the U.S. attorneys are not figureheads .
They are supervisors .
Their job is to supervise .
Anything less is an abdication . ''
Barr repeatedly took aim at career prosecutors , once asserting that the Justice Department has `` sometimes acted more like a trade association for federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of justice based on clear and sensible legal rules . ''
`` In case after case , we have advanced and defended hyper-aggressive extensions of the criminal law , '' he said .
`` This is wrong and we must stop doing it .
The rule of law requires that the law be clear , that it be communicated to the public , and that we respect its limits .
We are the Department of Justice , not the Department of Prosecution . ''
Barr , who has repeatedly defended Trump despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's attempts to obstruct that investigation , referred Wednesday to a `` criminalization '' of the political system .
`` The criminal law is supposed to be reserved for the most egregious misconduct — conduct so bad that our society has decided it requires serious punishment , including being locked away , '' he said .
`` These tools are not built to resolve political disputes . ''

'Criminalization of politics': AG Barr says prosecutors become 'headhunters'
Show Caption Hide Caption Barr: Federal task force made almost 1,500 arrests Attorney General William Barr says federal officers working alongside local police in the initiative known as "Operation Legend" have helped make nearly 1,500 arrests, including dozens for homicides and other violent crimes. (Aug. 19) AP
Attorney General William Barr defended his turbulent tenure at the Justice Department Wednesday, claiming that his personal involvement in criminal cases is expressly authorized by presidential appointment and Senate confirmation as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.
While repeatedly castigated for shielding President Donald Trump and his allies from legal jeopardy, Barr did not refer to specific cases. But he asserted that career prosecutors can “sometimes become headhunters.”
“I see it every day," the attorney general said in an address at Hillsdale College.
In the past year, Barr has overruled line prosecutors by recommending a lighter sentence for Trump political adviser Roger Stone, while he has also sought to drop the prosecution of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Both cases were brought by former Justice special counsel Robert Mueller who headed the nearly two-year investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
More: How many Trump advisers have been criminally charged? Manafort, Stone and Steve Bannon makes 7
Justice abruptly abandoned the Flynn case in May, after the retired Army general pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts a Russian ambassador. The trial judge continues to challenge the department's action. In the Stone case,
Barr recommended a lighter sentence for the political operative over the objections of prosecutors following Stone's conviction for lying to Congress and obstruction. Trump ultimately granted his friend clemency, saving Stone from a prison sentence of slightly more than three years.
More: Trump grants clemency to ally Roger Stone after railing against 'unfair' conviction, sentencing
"The men and women who have ultimate authority in the Justice Department are thus the ones on whom our elected officials have conferred that responsibility," Barr said. "That blessing by the two political branches of government gives these officials democratic legitimacy that career officials simply do not possess.
"The same process that produces these officials also holds them accountable," the attorney general said. "Line prosecutors, by contrast, are generally part of the permanent bureaucracy. They do not have the political legitimacy to be the public face of tough decisions and they lack the political buy-in necessary to publicly defend those decisions."
In both the Stone and Flynn cases, Justice lawyers withdrew from the prosecutions following Barr's intervention.
"Our system works best when leavened by judgment, discretion, proportionality, and consideration of alternative sanctions — all the things that supervisors provide," the attorney general said. "Cases must be supervised by someone who does not have a narrow focus, but who is broad-gauged and pursuing a general agenda...
"In short, the attorney general, senior (Justice) officials, and U.S. attorneys are indeed political. But they are political in a good and necessary sense," he said. "And because I am ultimately accountable for every decision the department makes, I have an obligation to ensure we make the correct ones. The attorney general, the assistant attorneys general, and the U.S. attorneys are not figureheads. They are supervisors. Their job is to supervise. Anything less is an abdication."
Barr repeatedly took aim at career prosecutors, once asserting that the Justice Department has "sometimes acted more like a trade association for federal prosecutors than the administrator of a fair system of justice based on clear and sensible legal rules."
"In case after case, we have advanced and defended hyper-aggressive extensions of the criminal law," he said. "This is wrong and we must stop doing it. The rule of law requires that the law be clear, that it be communicated to the public, and that we respect its limits. We are the Department of Justice, not the Department of Prosecution."
Barr, who has repeatedly defended Trump despite damaging findings in the Mueller report of the president's attempts to obstruct that investigation, referred Wednesday to a "criminalization" of the political system.
"The criminal law is supposed to be reserved for the most egregious misconduct — conduct so bad that our society has decided it requires serious punishment, including being locked away," he said. "These tools are not built to resolve political disputes."


usatoday--2020-09-16--Voter says she will choose Biden after Trump 'didn't answer' her health care question during town ha

Ellesia Blaque , one of the undecided participants in an ABC News town hall with President Donald Trump on Tuesday , said she will now vote for Democratic nominee Joe Biden after her question was not addressed by the president .
`` He did n't answer my question , '' Blaque told CNN after the town hall , adding that Trump had `` reanimated '' her to vote in the presidential election , whereas before the town hall she was still undecided on whether she would vote at all .
Blaque asked Trump during the town hall about how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions so that they can afford their health care and remain insured .
She described struggles she has faced in paying for health care due to her inflammatory disease .
`` From the day I was born , I was considered uninsurable , '' said Blaque , who is from Philadelphia and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
`` I want to know what it is that you 're going to do assure that people like me who work hard , we do everything we 're supposed to do , can stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not my fault that I was born with this disease .
It ’ s not my fault that I ’ m a Black woman and in the medical community , I ’ m minimized and not taken seriously.
” '' First of all , I hope you are taken seriously , '' Trump said .
Trump told Blaque that his administration is `` not going to hurt pre-existing conditions , and in fact , just the opposite . ''
He went on to rail against Biden and Democrats ' approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanting to remove protections for pre-existing conditions and enact Medicare for All .
Biden , however , is opposed to Medicare for All , and coverage for pre-existing conditions is already a stipulation of the health care law enacted while Biden was vice president .
Trump 's administration has repeatedly attempted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare .
Trump said he has a health care plan that will protect pre-existing conditions and come at a lower cost : `` I have it already , and it 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a much better plan . ''
The president has long claimed he will be unveiling a health care plan to replace the ACA , but has so far not released any information about it .
Asked about the plan at a press briefing on Wednesday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany shared principles of a plan that include `` better and cheaper '' health care , coverage for pre-existing conditions , increased price transparency and finding cures to diseases .
Pressed on specifics about then plan and who in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McEnany told a reporter , `` If you want to know , come work here at the White House . ''
Caputo on leave : Trump-appointed health official accused of meddling with CDC COVID-19 data takes leave of absence Trump 's answer , Blaque said , `` broke my heart and made me extremely angry . ''
Blaque also got attention on social media because she cut Trump off and asked him not to interrupt her question during the town hall .
While questioning Trump about whether coverage for pre-existing conditions , part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump began to say , “ No.
” “ Please stop and let me finish my question , sir , ” Blaque said before continuing .
She told CNN afterward , having left the event upset , `` I 'm going to vote for Biden . ''
Other town hall participants reached by CNN also told the outlet they did n't feel their questions were answered .
Carl Day , a pastor who said he voted for Jill Stein in 2016 , asked Trump when America has ever been great for Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America Great Again '' campaign slogan .
`` I do n't feel like he adequately answered it , '' Day told CNN , `` but essentially in doing so , he actually did .
America was never great for Black Americans in the ghetto . ''
Paul Tubiana , a conservative who has diabetes and voted for Trump in 2016 , asked him about his pandemic response .
`` Why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus ? ''
Trump said he did n't and touted his handling of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was lying through his teeth , '' Tubiana told CNN .

Voter says she will choose Biden after Trump 'didn't answer' her health care question during town hall
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump denies downplaying COVID-19 during ABC News town hall President Trump denied downplaying the threat from coronavirus during a town hall hosted by ABC News, despite his views 'to always play it down.' USA TODAY
Ellesia Blaque, one of the undecided participants in an ABC News town hall with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, said she will now vote for Democratic nominee Joe Biden after her question was not addressed by the president.
"He didn't answer my question," Blaque told CNN after the town hall, adding that Trump had "reanimated" her to vote in the presidential election, whereas before the town hall she was still undecided on whether she would vote at all.
Blaque asked Trump during the town hall about how he plans to protect those with pre-existing health conditions so that they can afford their health care and remain insured. She described struggles she has faced in paying for health care due to her inflammatory disease.
"From the day I was born, I was considered uninsurable," said Blaque, who is from Philadelphia and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
"I want to know what it is that you're going to do assure that people like me who work hard, we do everything we're supposed to do, can stay insured," Blaque said. "It’s not my fault that I was born with this disease. It’s not my fault that I’m a Black woman and in the medical community, I’m minimized and not taken seriously.”
"You've been trying to strike down pre-existing conditions."
In a @ABC2020 town hall, @GStephanopoulos presses Pres. Trump on claim he's preserving pre-existing conditions—as his administration argues in court against Obamacare, which protects them. Watch the full exchange. pic.twitter.com/GuOyqUKhen — ABC News (@ABC) September 16, 2020
"First of all, I hope you are taken seriously," Trump said.
Trump told Blaque that his administration is "not going to hurt pre-existing conditions, and in fact, just the opposite."
He went on to rail against Biden and Democrats' approach to health care, accusing them of wanting to remove protections for pre-existing conditions and enact Medicare for All.
Biden, however, is opposed to Medicare for All, and coverage for pre-existing conditions is already a stipulation of the health care law enacted while Biden was vice president. Trump's administration has repeatedly attempted to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Trump said he has a health care plan that will protect pre-existing conditions and come at a lower cost: "I have it already, and it's a much better plan for you, and it's a much better plan."
Town hall moment: Trump attacks Biden on coronavirus mask mandates. But Biden doesn't hold public office
The president has long claimed he will be unveiling a health care plan to replace the ACA, but has so far not released any information about it. Asked about the plan at a press briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany shared principles of a plan that include "better and cheaper" health care, coverage for pre-existing conditions, increased price transparency and finding cures to diseases.
Pressed on specifics about then plan and who in the White House is working on it, McEnany told a reporter, "If you want to know, come work here at the White House."
Caputo on leave: Trump-appointed health official accused of meddling with CDC COVID-19 data takes leave of absence
Trump's answer, Blaque said, "broke my heart and made me extremely angry."
Blaque also got attention on social media because she cut Trump off and asked him not to interrupt her question during the town hall. While questioning Trump about whether coverage for pre-existing conditions, part of the ACA, should be removed, Trump began to say, “No.”
“Please stop and let me finish my question, sir,” Blaque said before continuing.
She told CNN afterward, having left the event upset, "I'm going to vote for Biden."
Other town hall participants reached by CNN also told the outlet they didn't feel their questions were answered. Carl Day, a pastor who said he voted for Jill Stein in 2016, asked Trump when America has ever been great for Black Americans in reference to the "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.
"I don't feel like he adequately answered it," Day told CNN, "but essentially in doing so, he actually did. America was never great for Black Americans in the ghetto."
Paul Tubiana, a conservative who has diabetes and voted for Trump in 2016, asked him about his pandemic response. "Why did you throw vulnerable people like me under the bus?" Trump said he didn't and touted his handling of coronavirus.
"He didn't answer anything. He was lying through his teeth," Tubiana told CNN.


usatoday--2020-09-17--Poll: Sen. Susan Collins trailing challenger Sarah Gideon by 12 points in closely watched Maine race

WASHINGTON – Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , is trailing her Democratic opponent in the closely watched Senate race by more than 10 points , according to a new poll released Wednesday .
A new Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters surveyed in Maine found the incumbent trailing her opponent Sara Gideon , the state 's House speaker , by 12 percentage points .
Collins is one of the last moderate Republicans from New England remaining in Congress .
She has been critical of President Donald Trump – whose approval rating in the state is below the national average , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of issues .
More : Here are the 2020 Senate races to watch as the COVID-19 election comes into focus But her detractors say that despite her often verbal expressions of disapproval ( the phrase `` Susan Collins is concerned '' has become something of a social media punchline ) she has ended up voting with Trump on the most important issues , such as the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the impeachment trial .
`` The tide has turned on Senator Susan Collins , who was so popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the vote the last time she ran .
Likely voters are sending the message that there 's no 'middle of the road ' when it comes to President Trump , who is deeply unpopular in the state , '' said Mary Snow , a Quinnipiac University polling analyst .
Collins is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbent senators heading into November , and her seat is one of the Democrats ’ top priorities to flip as the party tries to gain control of Congress ' upper chamber .
'The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maine Sen. Susan Collins trailing in bid for 5th term , polls find Gideon 's lead in this poll is her largest yet .
Her average lead , according to Real Clear Politics , is 6.5 percentage points .
An August survey from Quinnipiac showed Gideon leading among all registered voters , 47 % to 43 % .
Eighty-nine percent of likely voters say their minds are made up about whom they are supporting in the contentious race , while 10 % say they could change their minds before Election Day .
Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negotiations between Congress and the Trump White House Gideon ’ s lead in this poll is amplified by not only large margins among Democratic-leaning groups — 20 points with women and 18 points with younger voters — but she is also leading with some groups who have previously skewed Republican .
She has a 4 point lead among men , a 3-point advantage among voters without a college degree , and is leading Collins by 18 points among seniors .
Gideon is also leading among independents , 59 % to 36 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Biden courts Hispanic voters , veterans in first Florida visit as nominee 'Why in the world would he do that ? '
: Trump allies and opponents question decision to speak to Woodward The poll also conducted surveys in two other Senate races that have garnered national attention : The re-election bids of Sens .
Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , and Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. Graham , one of Trump 's closest allies on Capitol Hill , is tied 48 % -48 % with Jamie Harrison , the first African American chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ninety-three percent of likely voters who have already backed a candidate said their minds are made up , and 49 % of those polled say they have a unfavorable opinion of the incumbent senator , while 44 % view him favorably .
More : GOP-led Senate panel allows more subpoenas in inquiry into Russia investigation , 'unmasking' '' A victor by almost 16 points back in 2014 , Senator Graham stares down the first real test of his Senate tenure , '' said Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy .
`` Outspent and accused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is in a precarious tie . ''
Democrats must flip a net of three or four seats to take control of the Senate , depending on whether Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden takes the White House .
More : Here are the prominent Republicans not supporting Trump , and those who are supporting Biden '' Senate control hangs in the balance as the GOP confronts a likely nail biter in South Carolina and a possible knockout in Maine , offset by a presumably solid lead in Kentucky , '' Malloy said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have to believe in miracles to believe we can win this race .
Once again , we are ALL TIED UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA . ''
When asked about the poll by reporters on Capitol Hill , Graham said his team is `` taking it seriously '' but thinks the poll is `` very flawed . ''
'Firewall against Nancy Pelosi ’ s agenda ' : How Mitch McConnell became one of Donald Trump 's key confidantes The survey also showed Senate Majority Leader McConnell besting his Democratic opponent Amy McGrath by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll survey was conducted Sept. 10-14 .
1,183 likely voters in Maine were surveyed , with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points ; 969 likely voters in South Carolina were surveyed , with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points ; 1,164 likely voters in Kentucky were surveyed , with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points .

Poll: Sen. Susan Collins trailing challenger Sarah Gideon by 12 points in closely watched Maine race
Show Caption Hide Caption Senator Susan Collins' disapproval rating is lowest among all senators The Maine senator's net approval rating has dropped 10 points since the end of September, leaving her with a 52 percent disapproval rating. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is trailing her Democratic opponent in the closely watched Senate race by more than 10 points, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
A new Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters surveyed in Maine found the incumbent trailing her opponent Sara Gideon, the state's House speaker, by 12 percentage points.
Collins is one of the last moderate Republicans from New England remaining in Congress. She has been critical of President Donald Trump – whose approval rating in the state is below the national average, according to the polls – on a number of issues.
More: Here are the 2020 Senate races to watch as the COVID-19 election comes into focus
But her detractors say that despite her often verbal expressions of disapproval (the phrase "Susan Collins is concerned" has become something of a social media punchline) she has ended up voting with Trump on the most important issues, such as the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the impeachment trial.
"The tide has turned on Senator Susan Collins, who was so popular in Maine that she won nearly 70 percent of the vote the last time she ran. Likely voters are sending the message that there's no 'middle of the road' when it comes to President Trump, who is deeply unpopular in the state," said Mary Snow, a Quinnipiac University polling analyst.
Collins is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbent senators heading into November, and her seat is one of the Democrats’ top priorities to flip as the party tries to gain control of Congress' upper chamber.
How polls work: The science behind gathering voter opinions The news cycle is jampacked with polls. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
'The political challenge of her life': Maine Sen. Susan Collins trailing in bid for 5th term, polls find
Gideon's lead in this poll is her largest yet. Her average lead, according to Real Clear Politics, is 6.5 percentage points. An August survey from Quinnipiac showed Gideon leading among all registered voters, 47% to 43%.
Eighty-nine percent of likely voters say their minds are made up about whom they are supporting in the contentious race, while 10% say they could change their minds before Election Day.
Coronavirus stimulus plans: What we know about the negotiations between Congress and the Trump White House
Gideon’s lead in this poll is amplified by not only large margins among Democratic-leaning groups — 20 points with women and 18 points with younger voters — but she is also leading with some groups who have previously skewed Republican.
She has a 4 point lead among men, a 3-point advantage among voters without a college degree, and is leading Collins by 18 points among seniors. Gideon is also leading among independents, 59% to 36%.
'We have to do better': Biden courts Hispanic voters, veterans in first Florida visit as nominee
'Why in the world would he do that?': Trump allies and opponents question decision to speak to Woodward
The poll also conducted surveys in two other Senate races that have garnered national attention: The re-election bids of Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Graham, one of Trump's closest allies on Capitol Hill, is tied 48%-48% with Jamie Harrison, the first African American chairman of South Carolina's Democratic party.
Ninety-three percent of likely voters who have already backed a candidate said their minds are made up, and 49% of those polled say they have a unfavorable opinion of the incumbent senator, while 44% view him favorably.
More: GOP-led Senate panel allows more subpoenas in inquiry into Russia investigation, 'unmasking'
"A victor by almost 16 points back in 2014, Senator Graham stares down the first real test of his Senate tenure," said Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy. "Outspent and accused by some of being a Trump apologist, he is in a precarious tie."
Democrats must flip a net of three or four seats to take control of the Senate, depending on whether Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden takes the White House.
More: Here are the prominent Republicans not supporting Trump, and those who are supporting Biden
"Senate control hangs in the balance as the GOP confronts a likely nail biter in South Carolina and a possible knockout in Maine, offset by a presumably solid lead in Kentucky," Malloy said.
Harrison tweeted that you "don't have to believe in miracles to believe we can win this race. Once again, we are ALL TIED UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA."
You don't have to believe in miracles to believe we can win this race. Once again, we are ALL TIED UP IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Let's do this, y'all!!! 💪🏻💪🏽💪🏾 https://t.co/EG2kFpEN1D — Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) September 16, 2020
When asked about the poll by reporters on Capitol Hill, Graham said his team is "taking it seriously" but thinks the poll is "very flawed."
'Firewall against Nancy Pelosi’s agenda': How Mitch McConnell became one of Donald Trump's key confidantes
The survey also showed Senate Majority Leader McConnell besting his Democratic opponent Amy McGrath by 12 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University poll survey was conducted Sept. 10-14. 1,183 likely voters in Maine were surveyed, with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points; 969 likely voters in South Carolina were surveyed, with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points; 1,164 likely voters in Kentucky were surveyed, with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.
Contributing: William Cummings, Philip M. Bailey


usatoday--2020-09-18--Cheerleading has a list of people banned from the sport. It was missing 74 convicted sex offenders.

One after another , a dozen young cheerleaders raced across a springy blue mat and flung themselves into a series of roundoffs and backflips , the thump of their hands and feet reverberating through the open Ohio gym .
Mishelle Robinson , the gym owner and coach , called out instructions across the cavernous warehouse .
Photos of beaming athletes and a line of golden trophies adorned the walls .
Among a row of banners , one emblazoned with the acronym USASF denoted the gym ’ s membership in the U.S. All Star Federation , the national organization that oversees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USASF ’ s extensive rules cover everything from stunt safety to hair bows , which `` should not be excessive in size . ''
But its rules didn ’ t stop someone with Robinson ’ s criminal record from owning a member gym .
The 44-year-old is a convicted felon — who opened a gym sanctioned by USASF while she was on Ohio ’ s sex offender registry .
A USA TODAY investigation found others who continued working in cheerleading despite charges or convictions for sexual misconduct involving minors .
Kale Dunlap , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minor and is facing sexual assault charges , kept coaching and cheering in USASF gyms after being indicted .
Patrick Avard was convicted in 2003 of two misdemeanors for exchanging explicit photos with a teenage girl , but he remains one of the sport ’ s most sought-after music producers .
And Ricky Despain remained in cheerleading even after his 2008 conviction for abusing two girls at his Virginia gym landed him on the sex offender registry .
Until earlier this year , Despain owned a gym that at times has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houston Press article that highlighted his past and a January 2019 complaint provided to USASF .
Karrah Pope , who Despain was convicted of inappropriately touching when she was 14 , said she stopped cheering competitively because she worried about seeing him at events .
Because he kept the sport , she lost it .
`` I would think that they would want to put their athlete 's safety obviously as a top priority , '' said Pope , now 28 .
`` And that clearly was not happening when a registered sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own a cheerleading organization still . ''
USA TODAY identified nearly 180 individuals affiliated with cheerleading who have faced charges relating to sexual misconduct involving minors but were not banned by the sport ’ s two governing bodies , USASF and USA Cheer .
More than 140 of them — a group that includes coaches , choreographers and others directly tied to the activity — have been convicted , and 74 are registered sex offenders .
Amy Clark , USASF ’ s vice president of membership , said her organization has robust child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on athlete safety .
`` I think you would be hard-pressed to find another youth sports organization that has dedicated the time and the effort that we have to these non-sporting resources , '' she said .
Yet as of mid-July , the governing bodies had suspended or banned just 21 individuals , according to public-facing lists meant to warn parents and gym owners about potential threats to children .
The lists have since grown to 118 names , with nearly all of the new additions coming in the last four weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While some of the individuals USA TODAY identified are serving lengthy prison sentences , many others could walk into a gym today and , under USASF ’ s policies , start coaching kids .
USASF only requires coaches who go backstage or in the warm-up area at competitions to be members and background checked through their system .
And though it mandates gym owners conduct their own screenings and background checks for anyone who interacts with a minor , what businesses do with that information is up to them .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each of those member clubs , '' Clark said .
`` So each of them have their process .
Hopefully each of them have legal counsel that would work with them . ''
The world of cheerleading extends far beyond girls waving pom poms on the sidelines of football games .
More than 3.7 million people participate in cheer , ranging from 5-year-olds at Pop Warner games to collegiate athletes to members of private gyms .
At the highest levels , cheerleaders perform athletic , aerial stunts in nationally televised competitions .
Cheerleading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Netflix released `` Cheer , '' a docuseries that chronicled the journey of Navarro College 's cheerleaders as they sought a national title .
On Thursday , one of the stars of `` Cheer , '' Jerry Harris , was arrested by the FBI and charged with production of child pornography .
According to federal court records , Harris admitted to agents that he solicited and received explicit messages on Snapchat from at least 10 to 15 individuals he knew were minors , had sex with a 15-year-old at a cheerleading competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in exchange for nude photos .
Harris has not responded to requests for comment .
Kristen , a Texas mother whose 14-year-old sons accused Harris of abuse , told USA TODAY she reported the allegations involving her sons to USASF in May and July .
USA TODAY withheld Kristen 's last name because her sons are minors and alleging abuse .
She said she was frustrated the organization didn ’ t do more .
In a Wednesday email to its members , USASF defended its handling of Kristen ’ s reports and provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving the first report in May , Clark responded to Kristen and asked if she had reported to police , then confirmed a gym owner had reported the allegations .
`` Based on this information — the mandated reporting requirements had been followed and the USASF would follow the process in place , and let the investigation proceed , '' the timeline reads .
The organization ’ s own timeline indicates it did not contact Kristen again until after she sent a second report to USASF , eight weeks after her first .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ same day USA TODAY reported the allegations against him .
Harris was in a USASF-member gym as recently as June , according to that gym ’ s social media account .
Clark spoke with USA TODAY for about 30 minutes in late August , then declined further interview requests .
USASF President Jim Chadwick also declined to be interviewed .
Neither would discuss specific individuals , including Harris and Robinson , the Ohio gym owner .
Clark and USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris ( no relation to Jerry Harris ) said their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses to prevent and identify sexual abuse in the sport .
Both USASF and USA Cheer made notable changes to their websites as USA TODAY conducted its investigation .
USA Cheer dropped the word `` preferred '' from its roster of music vendors and added a disclaimer that it is not responsible for the actions of any company in the directory .
Avard ’ s company , however , remains on the vendor list .
USA Cheer ’ s banned list has more than quintupled in size since Aug. 25 , when USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with cheer officials .
And USASF now says any coach banned from another sport is also ineligible for USASF membership .
Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar , founder and CEO of the advocacy group Champion Women , said the incomplete banned lists represent a stunning abdication of responsibility , particularly in the wake of the recent sex abuse scandal that consumed gymnastics .
`` If it ’ s going to be a tool , you just made it into a toothpick instead of an ice pick , '' Hogshead-Makar said .
`` You essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on there . ''
USA Cheer banned Robinson in early September .
But she still can coach in and own her USASF-member gym in Ravenna , Ohio .
In an interview with USA TODAY , Robinson was open with reporters in describing how she started a member gym while on the sex offender registry .
Robinson said her sister is the registered owner with USASF because Robinson knows her 2006 conviction for sexual battery of a high school boy would show up on a background check .
She said she buys a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in the warm-up area of competitions .
She said she assumes USASF knows about her criminal record .
Her uncle has been involved with USASF as a member , gym owner and credentialing instructor .
Robinson , who was on Ohio ’ s sex offender registry until March , said USASF has never questioned her involvement in the sport .
`` Everyone deserves a second chance , '' Robinson said .
`` Now , had I gone out there again and re-offended and did it again , no .
I would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget or forgive .
Never .
But the fact is , I did n't . ''
USASF and USA Cheer ’ s abuse prevention policies would appear to lie in those organizations ' own hands .
But both entities were founded by and still retain strong ties to Varsity Spirit , a for-profit company that dominates the sport .
Varsity — whose empire extends into cheer clothing , camps and competitions — provided the startup capital for USASF in 2003 .
Four years later , the company created USA Cheer , the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization for all aspects of cheerleading , including school-based programs , youth and recreational clubs and the U.S. national teams .
Today , USA Cheer has no employees of its own .
All six of its staff members are Varsity employees contracted to work for the nonprofit .
The same goes for USASF ’ s president and vice president of events and corporate alliances .
Varsity-owned companies also hold a permanent majority of seats on USASF ’ s board of directors .
John C. Patterson , a former staff member of the Nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonprofits on youth safety issues , said he ’ s never heard of an arrangement quite like the one between Varsity and the governing bodies .
He said the company 's control of the USASF board means `` whatever Varsity wants , Varsity can get . ''
`` With that kind of influence , it seems to me that the company should have an influence over the measures that they take to protect kids , '' Patterson said .
Nicole Lauchaire , a senior vice president at Varsity Spirit , said Varsity helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversight and rules and regulations were needed . ''
`` Both those organizations are very much focused on the safety of athletes and athlete protection , '' she said .
`` And we share in that mission . ''
USA Cheer and USASF have both increased their focus on child protection in recent years .
Clark said USASF in the last three years has implemented a sexual abuse prevention policy , adopted the policies of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and created housing and travel policies designed to minimize the risk of abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , during a July 10 phone call with the mother whose boys accused Jerry Harris of abuse , Clark acknowledged that not all gyms follow USASF ’ s sexual abuse prevention policy .
`` I am certain that people do n't do it , '' Clark said , according to an audio recording the mother provided to USA TODAY .
USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris said her organization has trained more than 20,000 coaches through its safety certification program , offers a course on identifying the maltreatment of children and launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an interview with USA TODAY , Harris and USA Cheer Director of Education and Programs Jim Lord said the organization 's banned list is just one of many tools used to keep athletes safe .
Lord said he visits search engines once a week , using terms such as `` cheer coach , '' `` athlete abuse '' and `` sexual assault , '' to find people to ban .
He said he looks for coaches who abused athletes in their care , but also high school teachers whose victims had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheer coach .
`` One of my weekly things that I do on my checklist is to go do another search , to see if anything has shown up , '' he said .
Lord 's searching resulted in just five names since the list was created in June .
The others on USA Cheer 's inital list were individuals already banned by USASF .
Clark , who oversees membership for USASF ’ s more than 2,300 clubs , said her organization is open to banning non-members .
But when provided with USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the vast majority had never been affiliated with USASF .
`` We 're a voluntary-membership organization , '' she said via email , `` not a gatekeeper for participation in the sport . ''
Among the nearly 180 people USA TODAY found by searching Google , news archives and public records are former USASF members and some whom the governing bodies were aware of but had not banned .
Arkansas cheerleading coach and gym owner Matthew Tinkle was charged in 2013 with raping a 13-year-old girl .
At the time , USASF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major changes to Tinkle ’ s membership status unless there was a conviction , according to a KATV report .
Tinkle pleaded to a felony charge of rape in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison , court records show .
Teacher and cheerleading coach Shelley Duncan kissed and groped a 14-year-old boy and exchanged 7,425 text messages with him in 2016 , according to Oklahoma court records .
She is serving a six-year prison sentence for committing a lewd act with a child .
She is one of three people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certification for but did not ban .
Maurice Jerralds , a former USASF member , abused four girls between 2000 and 2010 , according to court records .
He was convicted and sentenced in 2012 on 10 counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of aggravated sexual battery .
Jerralds is in prison in Virginia and listed on the sex offender registry .
Nancy Oglesby , one of the prosecutors who handled Jerralds ' case , laughed in disbelief last month when she learned Jerralds had not yet been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , registered sex offender , '' she said .
`` He got a 20-year sentence to serve .
I do n't know what more you would need to determine that he needs to be banned .
I mean , that just boggles my mind . ''
Tinkle , Duncan and Jerralds were all banned by USA Cheer after USA TODAY provided their names .
Kale Dunlap 's case illustrates what can happen when individual gyms are left to decide who is safe to coach kids .
In 2018 , Dunlap was working at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abilene , Texas .
Gym owner Karen Perricone knew the 19-year-old was facing sexual assault charges but employed him anyway .
`` We live in a country that people are INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY , which he has not been , '' she wrote in a December 2018 email to a woman who warned her about Dunlap ’ s charges .
`` I happen to believe Kale , '' she continued , `` and the story of his accusations is bull [ **** ] . ''
Seven months later , Dunlap was seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing additional accusations of misconduct .
In July 2019 , Texas gym owner Lori Schlunt-Thomas posted a warning about Dunlap in the All-Star Gym Owners Association ’ s private Facebook group .
She wrote that Dunlap had been applying for jobs in the area and had sent some of her underage athletes graphic sexual messages .
Schlunt-Thomas said she had reported the situation to police and USASF and questioned why Dunlap was n't listed on USASF ’ s banned list .
He was indicted two months later in a second case for felony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to court records .
Dunlap pleaded guilty to that charge in January and was sentenced to four years in prison .
In June , he was indicted in a third case after police said he sent sexually explicit messages to two girls , ages 13 and 14 .
Dunlap declined to be interviewed for this article .
In January , Schlunt-Thomas wrote on Facebook that Dunlap had been convicted in the second case .
A few days later , she noticed his name had finally been added to USASF 's list — nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and posted on Facebook that `` between myself and the mom of the child we were on their butt constantly . ''
Perricone told USA TODAY that when she wrote the email defending Dunlap , she believed he was innocent .
`` He was never left alone at my gym and to my knowledge he never had any misconduct with any of our students , '' Perricone said in an email .
Taylor Hamilton , the woman who tried to warn Perricone about Dunlap in 2018 , told USA TODAY the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious charges highlights a problem in the sport .
`` There 's a lot of holes that gyms will go through to make their programs better sometimes , '' Hamilton said .
`` And it 's not always for the safety of the athletes .
It 's more of just how they can win . ''
The custom mixes created by Patrick Avard ’ s company — two-and-a-half energetic minutes layered with lyrics , drums and sound effects that punctuate the moments cheerleaders are flung into the air — have been the soundtrack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned Avard , the 43-year-old owner of New Level Music , into one of the most sought-after producers in cheerleading .
In January , Avard stood backstage at `` The Ellen DeGeneres Show , '' where the stars of Netflix ’ s breakout docuseries performed to his music .
This summer , his music has been broadcast into millions of U.S. homes as the Wildcats , an All Star cheer team , competed on `` America ’ s Got Talent . ''
USA Cheer in 2015 named Avard ’ s company the exclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his business is one of about a hundred on the organization 's list of approved vendors .
Harris , USA Cheer ’ s executive director , said companies get on the approved list once owners agree to follow copyright law .
They are not subject to background checks .
Harris said the organization found out about Avard ’ s record in July , the same month his case resurfaced on social media .
She said USA Cheer doesn ’ t have any current agreement with Avard or any other providers and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents show Avard was convicted in 2003 of misdemeanor counts of furnishing harmful materials to minors and sexual exploitation of children .
Avard declined to be interviewed for this article .
In a written statement , he wrote : `` I was charged with two misdemeanors , took full responsibility for my actions and have lived every day since working to prove that one serious lapse in judgment does not define a person ’ s worth .
I am truly committed to my community , my family and my business , and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheer industry . ''
In his statement , Avard also misstated his own age and the victim ’ s at the time of the incident , making himself a year younger and her a year older .
Police records show the girl was 16 , and Avard 25 .
Read more : Patrick Avard 's police records ( Warning : These documents contain explicit language . )
She told police in Fayetteville , Georgia , that she barely knew Avard , a coach at the gym where she worked , when he wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their conversation , Avard asked what she was wearing and initiated a game of Truth or Dare .
She picked Truth , according to police records that describe their conversation , and Avard asked how far she had been with a boy .
She wrote back , `` made out . ''
As she thought of a challenge , he emailed her two photos of his penis , according to police .
Avard asked the girl to call and dare him to `` jerk off , '' saying he would take photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police records show .
He made the request repeatedly .
She did n't call , and when they signed off later , police said , Avard told her the conversation would “ be our secret.
” Avard pleaded guilty and served three months in jail , according to court documents .
In response to questions from USA TODAY , Harris said USA Cheer encourages teams to thoroughly screen anyone who has direct contact with athletes but pointed out that music producers `` have really no interaction with athletes . ''
Avard , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s teams in Atlanta without being background checked .
( Harris said the athletes on that team are all 18 or older and are never unsupervised at practices . )
Avard ’ s social media accounts — which he turned private after USA TODAY informed him through a representative that the newspaper would be reporting on his record — show him regularly attending competitions , including as recently as March .
A second vendor on USA Cheer ’ s music provider list has also been convicted of sexual misconduct involving minors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sound , has been mixing music since 1973 .
Law enforcement records detail an extensive list of accusations against him involving minors .
In 1986 , a police report indicates that Heath told a detective from the Salt Lake County sheriff ’ s office that he couldn ’ t be alone with children as a condition of his probation for an earlier conviction of attempted distribution of obscene material to a minor .
Records from that conviction could not be located .
Over the next five years , at least five girls or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement .
All of the incidents happened at his home , where he worked .
In April 1986 , two girls who knew Heath because he worked at their high school as a drill and cheerleading coach said he shared his sexual fantasies with them and asked them to share their own , according to Salt Lake County sheriff ’ s records .
Two months later , a mother told investigators she worried Heath had taken nude photos of her daughter while the girl changed during a modeling session .
Police said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been drilled into the wall of a room in his home used for changing .
A few years later , the sheriff ’ s office investigated Heath for potentially dealing in child pornography , records show .
None of those investigations resulted in criminal charges .
`` At this point in the investigation , '' the detective who investigated Heath wrote in 1991 , `` I was unable to identify an actual incident of criminal activity other than the many , very suspect incidents of suspicious behavior . ''
Later that same year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse and gross lewdness after two girls said he had fondled their breasts while they were at his home , records show .
Dana Hussey , the girls ' high school drill instructor , told USA TODAY they had gone there to help him write labels on mix tapes .
`` They were hysterically crying , '' she said of the girls .
`` They fell into my arms .
It took minutes and minutes before they could calm down enough to even talk . ''
Heath pleaded guilty in 1992 to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse relating to one of the girls .
Though he served no jail time , Heath was ordered to register as a sex offender .
Heath , who was removed from the registry in 2005 , declined to comment for this article .
His attorney , Jerome Mooney , said Heath has never possessed child pornography and denies wrongdoing in the cases for which he was not charged .
Mooney said Heath `` wasn ’ t as sensitive as he should have been to dealing with younger people '' and his actions were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he gave into a temptation and did engage in improper touching with respect to a single individual , '' Mooney said of Heath ’ s 1992 conviction .
Heath ’ s conviction is no secret .
A 2001 news article about his criminal record and work in the music industry is one of the first results in a Google search of his name and company .
But Harris said she had no idea about Heath ’ s past until USA TODAY told her .
Around the time that Heath was removed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman went to the sheriff ’ s office to report he had abused her years earlier .
The now 39-year-old woman , who asked to remain unnamed , told USA TODAY that she had been abused by Heath at age 10 and again at age 19 .
Prosecutors declined to file charges .
The woman , who works as a dance teacher , said it has been frustrating to see others continue supporting his business despite knowing about his past .
She did not know he was an approved USA Cheer vendor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with them at all .
He should have been paying for what he 's done to not just me , but so many other girls , '' she said .
`` It sickens me . ''
Robinson said she tells every family that comes to her Ohio gym about her conviction for sexual battery .
She said she ’ s lost some students because of it .
But most stay .
`` There 's no secrets , '' she told USA TODAY in August while a team of young girls practiced outside her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed doors . ''
About two weeks later , after her name appeared on USA Cheer ’ s banned list , Robinson posted a Facebook update announcing a change at her gym : Her son would be taking ownership of the gym ’ s All Star cheerleading program .
Robinson said she ’ d remain involved in the gym ’ s dance program as coach and owner .
A few days later , she posted the gym ’ s cheer schedule on her Facebook page .
Clark wouldn ’ t speak with USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USASF .
In an email , she offered a general observation : '' It goes without saying that the question of how a registered sex offender can work in a gym is a pressing and important one , '' she wrote .
She did not give an answer .
Daniel Connolly , an investigative reporter with The ( Memphis ) Commercial Appeal , contributed to this report .
Marisa Kwiatkowski and Tricia L. Nadolny are reporters on USA TODAY ’ s national investigative team .
Marisa can be reached at mkwiatko @ usatoday.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Signal or WhatsApp at ( 317 ) 207-2855 .
Tricia can be reached tnadolny @ usatoday.com or @ TriciaNadolny .

Marisa Kwiatkowski and Tricia L. Nadolny, USA TODAY

One after another, a dozen young cheerleaders raced across a springy blue mat and flung themselves into a series of roundoffs and backflips, the thump of their hands and feet reverberating through the open Ohio gym. Mishelle Robinson, the gym owner and coach, called out instructions across the cavernous warehouse.
"Arms up!"
Photos of beaming athletes and a line of golden trophies adorned the walls. Among a row of banners, one emblazoned with the acronym USASF denoted the gym’s membership in the U.S. All Star Federation, the national organization that oversees the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading. USASF’s extensive rules cover everything from stunt safety to hair bows, which "should not be excessive in size."
But its rules didn’t stop someone with Robinson’s criminal record from owning a member gym.
The 44-year-old is a convicted felon – who opened a gym sanctioned by USASF while she was on Ohio’s sex offender registry.
A USA TODAY investigation found others who continued working in cheerleading despite charges or convictions for sexual misconduct involving minors.
Mishelle Robinson, owner of Empire All Stars, coaches cheer practice Aug. 19 in Ravenna, Ohio. Robinson registered her gym with the U.S. All Star Federation, which controls a fast-paced segment of cheerleading that focuses solely on competing. Sandy Hooper, USA TODAY
Kale Dunlap, who pleaded guilty to online solicitation of a minor and faces sexual assault charges, kept coaching and cheering in USASF gyms after being indicted.
Patrick Avard was convicted in 2003 of two misdemeanors for exchanging explicit photos with a teenage girl, but he remains one of the sport’s most sought-after music producers.
And Ricky Despain remained in cheerleading even after his conviction in 2008 for abusing two girls at his Virginia gym landed him on the sex offender registry. Until this year, Despain owned a gym that has been sanctioned by USASF, despite a Houston Press article in 2015 that highlighted his past and a complaint in January 2019 provided to USASF.
Karrah Pope, whom Despain was convicted of inappropriately touching when she was 14, said she stopped cheering competitively because she worried about seeing him at events. Because he kept the sport, she lost it.
"I would think that they would want to put their athletes' safety obviously as a top priority," said Pope, 28. "And that clearly was not happening when a registered sex offender was allowed to be there and own a cheerleading organization still."
USA TODAY identified nearly 180 individuals affiliated with cheerleading who have faced charges relating to sexual misconduct involving minors but were not banned by the sport's two governing bodies, USASF and USA Cheer. More than 140 of them – a group that includes coaches, choreographers and others directly tied to the activity – have been convicted, and 74 are registered sex offenders.
Amy Clark, USASF's vice president of membership, said her organization has robust child protection policies and "leads the way" on athlete safety.
Dozens of cheer coaches convicted of sex crimes not banned from sport by USASF, USA Cheer USA TODAY finds nearly 180 individuals affiliated with cheerleading who have faced charges relating to sexual misconduct involving minors. Sandy Hooper and Alexis Arnold, USA TODAY
"I think you would be hard-pressed to find another youth sports organization that has dedicated the time and the effort that we have to these nonsporting resources," she said.
As of mid-July, the governing bodies had suspended or banned just 21 individuals, according to public-facing lists meant to warn parents and gym owners about potential threats to children. The lists have since grown to 118 names, and nearly all of the new additions came in the past four weeks from the names provided by USA TODAY.
While some of the individuals USA TODAY identified are serving lengthy prison sentences, many others could walk into a gym and, under USASF’s policies, start coaching kids.
USASF requires only coaches who go backstage or in the warmup area at competitions to be members and background checked through its system. Though it mandates gym owners conduct their own screenings and background checks for anyone who interacts with a minor, what businesses do with that information is up to them.
Help USA TODAY investigate misconduct in cheerleading If you are an athlete, parent, coach, gym owner or someone else with a connection to cheer, we want to hear your story. Tell us your story
"We don't get into the hiring at each of those member clubs," Clark said. "So each of them have their process. Hopefully, each of them have legal counsel that would work with them."
The world of cheerleading extends far beyond girls waving pompoms on the sidelines of football games. More than 3.7 million people participate in cheer, ranging from 5-year-olds at Pop Warner games to collegiate athletes to members of private gyms. At the highest levels, cheerleaders perform athletic, aerial stunts in nationally televised competitions. Cheerleading reached a broader audience in January, when Netflix released "Cheer," a docuseries that chronicled the journey of Navarro College's cheerleaders as they sought a national title.
Thursday, one of the stars of "Cheer," Jerry Harris, was arrested by the FBI and charged with production of child pornography. According to federal court records, Harris admitted to agents that he solicited and received explicit messages on Snapchat from 10 to 15 individuals he knew were minors, had sex with a 15-year-old at a cheerleading competition in 2019 and paid a 17-year-old money in exchange for nude photos. Harris has not responded to requests for comment.
Kristen, a mother in Texas whose 14-year-old sons accused Harris of abuse, told USA TODAY she reported the allegations involving her sons to USASF in May and July. USA TODAY withheld Kristen's last name because her sons are minors and alleging abuse. She said she was frustrated the organization didn’t do more.
In an email to its members Wednesday, USASF defended its handling of Kristen's reports and provided a timeline. It says that after receiving the first report in May, Clark asked Kristen if she had reported to police, then confirmed a gym owner had reported the allegations. "Based on this information – the mandated reporting requirements had been followed and the USASF would follow the process in place, and let the investigation proceed," the timeline reads.
The organization’s timeline indicates it did not contact Kristen again until after she sent a second report to USASF, eight weeks after her first. USASF suspended Harris on Sept. 14, the same day USA TODAY reported the allegations against him. Harris was in a USASF-member gym as recently as June, according to that gym’s social media account.
Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY
Clark spoke with USA TODAY for about 30 minutes in late August, then declined further interview requests. USASF President Jim Chadwick declined to be interviewed. Neither would discuss specific individuals, including Harris and Robinson, the Ohio gym owner.
Clark and USA Cheer Executive Director Lauri Harris (no relation to Jerry Harris) said their organizations adopted policies and implemented training courses to prevent and identify sexual abuse in the sport.
USASF and USA Cheer made changes to their websites as USA TODAY conducted its investigation. USA Cheer dropped the word "preferred" from its roster of music vendors and added a disclaimer that it is not responsible for the actions of any company in the directory. Avard’s company remains on the vendor list.
USA Cheer’s banned list has more than quintupled in size since Aug. 25, when USA TODAY shared the findings of its investigation with cheer officials. USASF says any coach banned from another sport is ineligible for USASF membership.
Olympic swimmer Nancy Hogshead-Makar, founder and CEO of the advocacy group Champion Women, said the incomplete banned lists represent a stunning abdication of responsibility, particularly in the wake of a sex abuse scandal that consumed gymnastics.
Nancy Hogshead-Makar is CEO of the advocacy group Champion Women. Phelan Ebenhack for USA TODAY
"If it’s going to be a tool, you just made it into a toothpick instead of an ice pick," Hogshead-Makar said. "You essentially made it meaningless by only having 21 people on there."
USA Cheer banned Robinson in early September, but she still can coach in and own her USASF-member gym in Ravenna, Ohio.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Robinson was open in describing how she started a member gym while on the sex offender registry.
Robinson said her sister is the registered owner with USASF because Robinson knows her conviction in 2006 for sexual battery of a high school boy would show up on a background check. She said she buys a spectator ticket and does not go backstage or in the warmup area of competitions.
She said she assumes USASF knows about her criminal record. Her uncle has been involved with USASF as a member, gym owner and credentialing instructor. Robinson, who was on Ohio’s sex offender registry until March, said USASF has never questioned her involvement in the sport.
"Everyone deserves a second chance," Robinson said. "Now, had I gone out there again and reoffended and did it again, no. I would have no right to ever expect anyone to forget or forgive. Never. But the fact is, I didn't."
'That just boggles my mind'
USASF and USA Cheer’s abuse prevention policies appear to lie in those organizations' own hands. But both entities were founded by and retain strong ties to Varsity Spirit, a for-profit company that dominates the sport.
Varsity – whose empire extends into cheer clothing, camps and competitions – provided the startup capital for USASF in 2003. Four years later, the company created USA Cheer, the national governing body that serves as the umbrella organization for all aspects of cheerleading, including school-based programs, youth and recreational clubs and the U.S. national teams.
USA Cheer has no employees of its own. All six of its staff members are Varsity employees contracted to work for the nonprofit group. The same goes for USASF’s president and vice president of events and corporate alliances. Varsity-owned companies hold a permanent majority of seats on USASF’s board of directors.
Cheer empire: A for-profit company built competitive cheer, pays people who make its rules
John Patterson, a former staff member of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center who has consulted with nonprofit groups on youth safety issues, said he’s never heard of an arrangement quite like the one between Varsity and the governing bodies. He said the company's control of the USASF board means "whatever Varsity wants, Varsity can get."
"With that kind of influence, it seems to me that the company should have an influence over the measures that they take to protect kids," Patterson said.
Nicole Lauchaire, a senior vice president at Varsity Spirit, said Varsity helped create both organizations because it believed "oversight and rules and regulations were needed."
"Both those organizations are very much focused on the safety of athletes and athlete protection," she said. "And we share in that mission."
USA Cheer and USASF have increased their focus on child protection.
Clark said that in the past three years, USASF has implemented a sexual abuse prevention policy, adopted the policies of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and created housing and travel policies designed to minimize the risk of abuse while athletes are on the road.
During a phone call July 10 with the mother whose boys accused Jerry Harris of abuse, Clark acknowledged that not all gyms follow USASF’s sexual abuse prevention policy. "I am certain that people don't do it," Clark said, according to an audio recording the mother provided to USA TODAY.
Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY
Lauri Harris said USA Cheer has trained more than 20,000 coaches through its safety certification program, offers a course on identifying the maltreatment of children and launched an online reporting form for abuse allegations.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Harris and USA Cheer Director of Education and Programs Jim Lord said the organization's banned list is one of many tools used to keep athletes safe. Lord said he visits search engines once a week, using terms such as "cheer coach," "athlete abuse" and "sexual assault," to find people to ban. He said he looks for coaches who abused athletes in their care but also high school teachers whose victims had no connection to their role as a cheer coach.
"One of my weekly things that I do on my checklist is to go do another search, to see if anything has shown up," he said.
Lord's searching resulted in five names since the list was created in June. The others on USA Cheer's initial list were individuals already banned by USASF.
Tweet Facebook Email Email this story Share Share this story Amy Clark, USASF’s vice president of membership We’re a voluntary-membership organization. Not a gatekeeper for participation in the sport. Quote icon
Clark, who oversees membership for USASF’s more than 2,300 clubs, said her organization is open to banning nonmembers. When provided with USA TODAY’s findings, she stressed that the majority had never been affiliated with USASF.
"We're a voluntary-membership organization," she said via email, "not a gatekeeper for participation in the sport."
Among the nearly 180 people USA TODAY found by searching Google, news archives and public records are former USASF members and some whom the governing bodies were aware of but had not banned.
Arkansas cheerleading coach and gym owner Matthew Tinkle was charged in 2013 with raping a 13-year-old girl. At the time, USASF said it would not make major changes to Tinkle’s membership status unless there was a conviction, according to a KATV report. Tinkle pleaded to a felony charge of rape in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, court records show.
Shelley Duncan is serving a six-year prison sentence for a sex offense. TISHOMINGO POLICE
Teacher and cheerleading coach Shelley Duncan kissed and groped a 14-year-old boy and exchanged 7,425 text messages with him in 2016, according to Oklahoma court records. She is serving a six-year prison sentence for committing a lewd act with a child. She is one of three people whom USA Cheer revoked or suspended safety certification for but did not ban.
Maurice Jerralds, a former USASF member, abused four girls from 2000 to 2010, according to court records. He was convicted and sentenced in 2012 on 10 counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of aggravated sexual battery. Jerralds is in prison in Virginia and listed on the sex offender registry.
TOP: Sexual assault survivor and activist, Fatima Smith, 32, alleges her cheer coach sexually assaulted her in the summer of 2000. He was not charged for the crime. Twelve years later, the coach, Maurice Jerralds was found guilty of 11 felony abuse charges and is currently in prison. BOTTOM: The former location of USA All-Stars gym in Henrico County where Maurice Jerralds worked as a cheer coach. TOP: Sexual assault survivor and activist, Fatima Smith, 32, alleges her cheer coach sexually assaulted her in the summer of 2000. He was not charged for the crime. Twelve years later, the coach, Maurice Jerralds was found guilty of 11 felony abuse charges and is currently in prison. BOTTOM: The former location of USA All-Stars gym in Henrico County where Maurice Jerralds worked as a cheer coach. LEFT: Sexual assault survivor and activist, Fatima Smith, 32, alleges her cheer coach sexually assaulted her in the summer of 2000. He was not charged for the crime. Twelve years later, the coach, Maurice Jerralds was found guilty of 11 felony abuse charges and is currently in prison. RIGHT: The former location of USA All-Stars gym in Henrico County where Maurice Jerralds worked as a cheer coach. SANDY HOOPER, USA TODAY
Nancy Oglesby, one of the prosecutors who handled Jerralds' case, laughed in disbelief last month when she learned Jerralds had not been banned.
"He's a violent, registered sex offender," she said. "He got a 20-year sentence to serve. I don't know what more you would need to determine that he needs to be banned. I mean, that just boggles my mind."
Tinkle, Duncan and Jerralds were all banned by USA Cheer after USA TODAY provided their names.
Leaving it up to the gyms
Kale Dunlap's case illustrates what can happen when individual gyms are left to decide who is safe to coach kids.
In 2018, Dunlap worked at the Flip House Cheer and Tumble in Abilene, Texas. Gym owner Karen Perricone knew the 19-year-old faced sexual assault charges but employed him anyway.
In 2018, Kale Dunlap worked at the Flip House Cheer and Tumble in Abilene, Texas, though he faced sexual assault charges. Collin County Sheriff’s Office
"We live in a country that people are INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, which he has not been," she wrote in December 2018 in an email to a woman who warned her about Dunlap's charges.
"I happen to believe Kale," she continued, "and the story of his accusations is bull [----]."
Seven months later, Dunlap was seeking work in other Texas gyms – and facing additional accusations of misconduct.
In July 2019, Texas gym owner Lori Schlunt-Thomas posted a warning about Dunlap in the All-Star Gym Owners Association’s private Facebook group. She wrote that Dunlap had applied for jobs in the area and sent some of her underage athletes graphic sexual messages. Schlunt-Thomas said she reported the situation to police and USASF and questioned why Dunlap wasn't listed on USASF’s banned list.
He was indicted two months later in a second case for felony online solicitation of a minor, according to court records. Dunlap pleaded guilty to that charge in January and was sentenced to four years in prison. In June, he was indicted in a third case after police said he sent sexually explicit messages to two girls, ages 13 and 14. Dunlap declined to be interviewed for this article.
In January, Schlunt-Thomas wrote on Facebook that Dunlap had been convicted in the second case. A few days later, she noticed his name had finally been added to USASF's list – nearly two years after he was first indicted – and posted on Facebook that "between myself and the mom of the child we were on their butt constantly."
Perricone told USA TODAY that when she wrote the email defending Dunlap, she believed he was innocent.
Tweet Facebook Email Email this story Share Share this story Karen Perricone, owner of The Flip House Cheer and Tumble in Abilene, Texas He was never left alone at my gym and to my knowledge he never had any misconduct with any of our students. Quote icon
"He was never left alone at my gym and to my knowledge he never had any misconduct with any of our students," Perricone said in an email.
Taylor Hamilton, the woman who tried to warn Perricone about Dunlap in 2018, told USA TODAY the fact that Dunlap continued to coach while facing serious charges highlights a problem in the sport.
"There's a lot of holes that gyms will go through to make their programs better sometimes," Hamilton said. "And it's not always for the safety of the athletes. It's more of just how they can win."
‘Very suspect incidents’
The custom mixes created by Patrick Avard's company – two-and-a-half energetic minutes layered with lyrics, drums and sound effects that punctuate the moments cheerleaders are flung into the air – have been the soundtrack to 168 medal-winning routines.
They have turned Avard, 43, owner of New Level Music, into one of the most sought-after producers in cheerleading. In January, Avard stood backstage at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," where the stars of Netflix’s breakout docuseries performed to his music. This summer, his music has been broadcast into millions of U.S. homes as the Wildcats, an All Star cheer team, competed on "America’s Got Talent."
Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY
In 2015, USA Cheer named Avard’s company the exclusive music producer of its national teams, and his business is one of about a hundred on the organization's list of approved vendors.
Harris, USA Cheer’s executive director, said companies get on the approved list once owners agree to follow copyright law. They are not subject to background checks. Harris said the organization found out about Avard’s record in July, the same month his case resurfaced on social media. She said USA Cheer doesn’t have any agreement with Avard or any other providers and is reviewing its music provider policies.
Court documents show Avard was convicted in 2003 of misdemeanor counts of furnishing harmful materials to minors and sexual exploitation of children.
Avard declined to be interviewed for this article. In a statement, he wrote, "I was charged with two misdemeanors, took full responsibility for my actions and have lived every day since working to prove that one serious lapse in judgment does not define a person’s worth. I am truly committed to my community, my family and my business, and will continue to make positive contributions to the cheer industry."
In his statement, Avard misstated his own age and the victim’s at the time of the incident, making himself a year younger and her a year older. Police records show the girl was 16 and Avard 25.
Read more: Patrick Avard's police records (Warning: These documents contain explicit language.)
She told police in Fayetteville, Georgia, that she barely knew Avard, a coach at the gym where she worked, when he wrote her on instant messaging. Soon into their conversation, Avard asked what she was wearing and initiated a game of Truth or Dare.
She picked Truth, according to police records that describe their conversation, and Avard asked how far she had been with a boy. She wrote back, "made out."
Avard picked Dare.
As she thought of a challenge, he emailed her two photos of his penis, according to police.
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Avard asked the girl to call and dare him to "jerk off," saying he would take photos or show her on his web cam, police records show. He made the request repeatedly. She didn't call, and when they signed off, police said, Avard told her the conversation would “be our secret.”
Avard pleaded guilty and served three months in jail, according to court documents.
In response to questions from USA TODAY, Harris said USA Cheer encourages teams to thoroughly screen anyone who has direct contact with athletes but pointed out that music producers "have really no interaction with athletes."
Avard attended a practice of USA Cheer’s teams in Atlanta without being background checked. (Harris said the athletes on that team are all 18 or older and are never unsupervised at practices.) Avard’s social media accounts – which he turned private after USA TODAY informed him through a representative that the newspaper would report on his record – show him regularly attending competitions, including as recently as March.
A second vendor on USA Cheer’s music provider list has been convicted of sexual misconduct involving minors.
Kevin Heath, owner of Utah-based Fusion Sound, has been mixing music since 1973. Law enforcement records detail an extensive list of accusations against him involving minors.
Police say Kevin Heath told a detective he couldn't be alone with children. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office
In 1986, a police report indicates that Heath told a detective from the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office that he couldn’t be alone with children as a condition of his probation for a conviction of attempted distribution of obscene material to a minor. Records from that conviction could not be located.
Over the next five years, at least five girls or their parents reported concerns about Heath to law enforcement. All of the incidents allegedly happened at his home, where he worked.
In April 1986, two girls who knew Heath because he worked at their high school as a drill and cheerleading coach said he shared his sexual fantasies with them and asked them to share their own, according to Salt Lake County sheriff’s records. Two months later, a mother told investigators she worried Heath had taken nude photos of her daughter while the girl changed during a modeling session. Police said they found two peepholes had been drilled into the wall of a room in his home used for changing. A few years later, the sheriff’s office investigated Heath for potentially dealing in child pornography, records show.
None of those investigations resulted in criminal charges.
"At this point in the investigation," the detective who investigated Heath wrote in 1991, "I was unable to identify an actual incident of criminal activity other than the many, very suspect incidents of suspicious behavior."
Later that year, prosecutors charged Heath with forcible sexual abuse and gross lewdness after two girls said he fondled their breasts while they were at his home, records show. Dana Hussey, the girls' high school drill instructor, told USA TODAY they had gone there to help him write labels on mix tapes.
Tweet Facebook Email Email this story Share Share this story Dana Hussey, high school drill instructor They were hysterically crying. They fell into my arms. It took minutes and minutes before they could calm down enough to even talk. Quote icon
"They were hysterically crying," she said. "They fell into my arms. It took minutes and minutes before they could calm down enough to even talk."
Heath pleaded guilty in 1992 to a downgraded felony charge of attempted forcible sexual abuse relating to one of the girls. Though he served no jail time, Heath was ordered to register as a sex offender.
Heath, who was removed from the registry in 2005, declined to comment for this article. His attorney, Jerome Mooney, said Heath has never possessed child pornography and denies wrongdoing in the cases for which he was not charged. Mooney said Heath "wasn't as sensitive as he should have been to dealing with younger people" and his actions were misconstrued.
"He does admit that he gave into a temptation and did engage in improper touching with respect to a single individual," Mooney said of Heath’s conviction in 1992.
Heath’s conviction is no secret. A 2001 news article about his criminal record and work in the music industry is one of the first results in a Google search of his name and company.
TOP: The U.S. All Star Federation's website lists Amy Clark as the Vice President of Membership, shown by this screen grab on from Sept. 15, 2020. BOTTOM: USA Cheer’s website lists Lauri Harris as the executive director, shown on this screen grab from Sept. 15, 2020. TOP: The U.S. All Star Federation's website lists Amy Clark as the Vice President of Membership, shown by this screen grab on from Sept. 15, 2020. BOTTOM: USA Cheer’s website lists Lauri Harris as the executive director, shown on this screen grab from Sept. 15, 2020. LEFT: The U.S. All Star Federation's website lists Amy Clark as the Vice President of Membership, shown by this screen grab on from Sept. 15, 2020. RIGHT: USA Cheer’s website lists Lauri Harris as the executive director, shown on this screen grab from Sept. 15, 2020. USA TODAY
Harris said she had no idea about Heath’s past until USA TODAY told her.
Around the time that Heath was removed from the sex offender registry in 2005, a woman went to the sheriff's office to report he had abused her years earlier. The 39-year-old woman, who asked to remain unnamed, told USA TODAY she had been abused by Heath at age 10 and again at age 19. Prosecutors declined to file charges.
The woman, who works as a dance teacher, said it's frustrating to see others support his business despite knowing about his past. She did not know he was an approved USA Cheer vendor.
"He shouldn't have any affiliation with them at all. He should have been paying for what he's done to not just me but so many other girls," she said. "It sickens me."
‘There's no secrets’
Robinson said she tells every family that comes to her Ohio gym about her conviction for sexual battery. She said she's lost some students because of it. But most stay.
"There's no secrets," she told USA TODAY in August while a team of young girls practiced outside her office window. "There's no closed doors."
About two weeks later, after her name appeared on USA Cheer’s banned list, Robinson posted a Facebook update announcing a change at her gym: Her son would take ownership of the gym’s All Star cheerleading program.
Robinson said she’d remain involved in the gym’s dance program as coach and owner. A few days later, she posted the gym’s cheer schedule on her Facebook page.
Mishelle Robinson, owner of Empire All Stars in Ohio, says she tells every family who comes to her gym about her criminal record. Most families, she says, stay. Sandy Hooper, USAT
Clark wouldn’t speak with USA TODAY about Robinson’s affiliation with USASF. In an email, she offered a general observation: "It goes without saying that the question of how a registered sex offender can work in a gym is a pressing and important one."
She did not give an answer.
Contributing: Daniel Connolly, The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal
Marisa Kwiatkowski and Tricia L. Nadolny are reporters on USA TODAY’s national investigative team. Marisa can be reached at mkwiatko@usatoday.com, @IndyMarisaK or by phone, Signal or WhatsApp at (317) 207-2855. Tricia can be reached tnadolny@usatoday.com or @TriciaNadolny.


usatoday--2020-09-18--National Foundation for Gun Rights raises $50K to 'support' Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhous

A conservative gun rights group has raised $ 50,000 for the Illinois teenager charged with shooting three people , two fatally , during protests last month in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
The conservative National Foundation for Gun Rights , based in Loveland , Colorado , announced Thursday it has sent $ 50,000 to Kyle Rittenhouse for `` defending himself and business owners '' amid protests following the fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake .
`` I spoke with Kyle 's mother this morning to let her know NFGR received over a thousand donations amounting to over $ 50,000 from folks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Executive Director Dudley Brown said in a news release .
According to the news release , Rittenhouse 's mother responded : `` No words can describe what we 're going through .
Thank you so much — and I know Kyle and the rest of the family would say thank you too . ''
The gun lobby donation came after GoFundMe pulled down fundraisers intended to support Rittenhouse and refunded all donations , The Washington Times reported last month .
Rittenhouse of Antioch , Illinois , is facing six charges , including one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17-year-old is being charged as an adult in Wisconsin and would face life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge .
'That 's the shooter ' : Witnesses describe the night Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire in Kenosha The other charges include first-degree reckless homicide , attempted first-degree intentional homicide , two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 .
Video footage shows Rittenhouse , who is white , using an AR-15-style rifle .
After the shootings , footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent surrender , but police drove past him .
Rittenhouse drove from his home in Illinois to the protests in Wisconsin to defend property from unrest , he told reporters .
Protests erupted on Aug. 23 after police shot Blake , a Black man , in front of his children .
Blake is now paralyzed .

National Foundation for Gun Rights raises $50K to 'support' Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse
Show Caption Hide Caption Kenosha protest shooting: What we know about shooter Kyle Rittenhouse 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse is being charged as an adult for shooting three people, two of them fatally, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. USA TODAY, Storyful
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported Jacob Blake's condition following an August police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A conservative gun rights group has raised $50,000 for the Illinois teenager charged with shooting three people, two fatally, during protests last month in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The conservative National Foundation for Gun Rights, based in Loveland, Colorado, announced Thursday it has sent $50,000 to Kyle Rittenhouse for "defending himself and business owners" amid protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
"I spoke with Kyle's mother this morning to let her know NFGR received over a thousand donations amounting to over $50,000 from folks who support her son," NFGR Executive Director Dudley Brown said in a news release.
'Unapproved assignment': Dallas school district investigating after teacher listed Kenosha shooter as 'hero'
According to the news release, Rittenhouse's mother responded: "No words can describe what we're going through. Thank you so much — and I know Kyle and the rest of the family would say thank you too."
The gun lobby donation came after GoFundMe pulled down fundraisers intended to support Rittenhouse and refunded all donations, The Washington Times reported last month.
John Pierce, the lead attorney representing Rittenhouse, resigned his position with a Texas defense fund expected to help the 17-year-old because of a troubled financial history. Pierce and his firm have been involved in a series of financial entanglements, failing to pay nearly $70 million to two separate funders.
Pierce said he resigned from the #FightBack Foundation, which he co-founded, to avoid any "appearance of conflict."
Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, is facing six charges, including one count of first-degree intentional homicide. He is being charged as an adult in Wisconsin and would face life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.
'That's the shooter': Witnesses describe the night Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire in Kenosha
The other charges include first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
Video footage shows Rittenhouse, who is white, using an AR-15-style rifle. After the shootings, footage shows him raising his hands in an apparent surrender, but police drove past him.
Rittenhouse drove from his home in Illinois to the protests in Wisconsin to defend property from unrest, he told reporters. Protests erupted on Aug. 23 after police shot Blake, a Black man, in front of his children. Blake is now paralyzed.
Contributing: Ryan W. Miller, Ashley Luthern, Sarah Volpenhein, Grace Hauck and Jordan Culver, USA TODAY