Aug 18, 2016Guidelines for Protection
Kent City Community Schools in Grand Rapids, Mich., has teamed up with the health care organization Spectrum Health to provide a set of guidelines for students when interacting with athletic trainers. The move comes in response to the arrest of Justin Travis Greenlaw, an athletic trainer who was employed by Spectrum Health and contracted with the Kent City School District, as reported by Mlive.com.
Greenlaw had been working with the girls’ and boys’ middle and high school sports teams since January 2014, but this summer he was arrested and charged with two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, two counts of capturing or distributing an image of an unclothed person, and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The arrest occurred after two female employees of Display Pack in Grand Rapids notified the police that Greenlaw might have secretly recorded them. During that investigation, police say they found he possessed inappropriate photos and videos of Kent High School students.
“During the time, the girls were unclothed from the waist down, and Mr. Greenlaw was photographing or taking video of their nude buttocks as well as rubbing them,” writes a Kent County sheriff’s detective.
The girls had no idea about the alleged photos or video, because they were face down on an athletic training table, and that is one of the issues that the “Students Rights and Expectations” addresses.
“My hope is that these guidelines raise the level of awareness of our student athletes about their rights and expectations,” says Kent City Superintendent Mike Weiler, who requested the guidelines for interaction with athletic trainers from Spectrum Health.
The guidelines were drafted by Spectrum Health and will be distributed to the 24 schools in the West Michigan region that use their services.
“Spectrum Health believes everyone we care for should be well informed and have an integral role in the care they receive,” according to a Spectrum Health statement. “We appreciate Kent City Schools’ support and assistance in developing these guidelines.”
The “Student Rights and Expectations” are:
- You have a right to confidentiality and modesty during evaluation and treatment.
- You have the right to have a parent/guardian or an adult of the same sex present during evaluation and treatment.
- Appropriate attire must be worn in the athletic training room. Including shorts and tank top during evaluation or treatment.
- No electronic devices are to be used in the athletic training room.
- Photo/videos will only be taken with prior written informed consent during evaluation or treatment. Consent must be from parent or legal guardian if student is a minor.
- You should expect that the athletic trainer will conduct themselves in a professional manner that is consistent with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Code of Ethics and the Spectrum Health Code of Excellence.
The guidelines have been distributed to coaches and posted in the athletic training room along with the middle school and high school locker rooms at Kent City.
“We are trying to educate both parents and kids, so that something positive can come out of this situation,” says Weiler.