Brock Turner, the former Stanford University swimmer who was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus, has been banned for life by USA Swimming, the national governing body of competitive swimming.
Although Turner’s membership with the organization expired at the end of 2014, before he committed the crime, the move blocks the 20-year-old from being eligible for one ever again. Swimmers must be a member of USA Swimming to compete in sanctioned events, including the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials that select the Olympic team every four years.
“USA Swimming condemns the crime and actions committed by Brock Turner, and all acts of sexual misconduct. Brock Turner is not a member of USA Swimming and, should he apply, he would not be eligible for membership,” USA Swimming spokesman Scott Leightman said in a statement obtained by ABC News today. “Had he been a member, he would have been subject to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct. USA Swimming strictly prohibits and has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, with firm Code of Conduct policies in place, and severe penalties, including a permanent ban of membership, for those who violate the Code of Conduct.”
Potential Jurors Refuse to Serve in Case Overseen by Stanford Sex Assault Trial Judge Key Witness in Stanford Sexual Assault Case Speaks OutA jury found Turner guilty in March of three felonies: assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated-unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person. He was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of probation by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky last week, sparking national outrage from critics who questioned why the former student received little jail time.
Persky has not commented publicly about his decision because Turner, who’s expected to be released three months early Sept. 2, plans to appeal his conviction.
ABC News obtained a copy of Turner’s full statement to the judge, in which the ex-student blames “partying” and “drinking” for his actions.
“Coming from a small town in Ohio, I had never really experienced celebrating or partying that involved alcohol. However, when I came to school in California, it had become what I expected when spending a Saturday with friends. I began to champion the idea of relieving the stress of school and swimming by consuming alcohol on weekends with people,” Turner said in the statement.
Turner’s older sister, Caroline, also wrote a letter to the judge about her brother, who was awarded a 60 percent swimming scholarship by the university. She lamented how his “alcohol-fueled decisions” closed many opportunities for him, including a dream of swimming in the Olympics.
“A series of alcohol-fueled decisions that he made within an hour time span will define him for the rest of his life,” Caroline wrote in a letter to the judge. “Goodbye to NCAA championships. Goodbye to the Olympics. Goodbye to becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Goodbye to life as he knew it.”
The unidentified victim, now 23, responded to Turner’s statement to the judge in an emotional letter she read in court, slamming the former swimmer's statement.
“If you are hoping that one of my organs will implode from anger and I will die, I’m almost there. You are very close,” her letter reads in part. “This is not a story of another drunk college hook-up with poor decision-making. Assault is not an accident. Somehow, you still don’t get it. Somehow, you still sound confused.”