A Langley water polo coach has been banned for life from coaching or taking part in events organized by the sportB次元官网网址檚 national organization, after allegedly using sexually charged language and berating his teenaged athletes.

Water Polo Canada (WPC) held hearings last fall into the conduct of long-time Fraser Valley Water Polo (FVWP) coach Justin Mitchell. The report and announcement of suspension was released Tuesday.

Mitchell, one of the founders of the FVWP club in 2007, was the subject of complaints in the fall of 2016 and again in 2017. Water Polo Canada began looking into the matter as early as 2016.

B次元官网网址淭he evidence established a pattern of frequently sexualized, negative, abusive, and sometimes aggressive behaviour and language used by the respondent [Mitchell] that did not respect the athlete-coach relationship and did not seem to account for the impact he was having on the young athletes on his teams. But it also established his longstanding commitment and dedication to the sport of water polo and to his club,B次元官网网址� said the report, which was released this month.

Several witnesses, most of whom were teenaged athletes at the time of the incidents, testified about interactions with Mitchell that sometimes left them in tears.

A witness, identified as CD, said Mitchell would switch between laughing and joking and swearing at her, and that she often dreaded going to practice.

Mitchell would allegedly yell at the teenaged girls to B次元官网网址済et their tits out of the waterB次元官网网址� during practices, and once allegedly promised players B次元官网网址渁 bathtub full of alcoholB次元官网网址� if they won an upcoming competition B次元官网网址� although no alcohol was actually handed out.

He told another female witness, AB, that she gave men in the hot tub area of the pool B次元官网网址渉ard ons,B次元官网网址� and once contacted the girlB次元官网网址檚 mother, saying he believed her father was sexually assaulting her.

AB alleged Mitchell touched her upper thigh without permission on multiple occasions while she was doing leg swings during training, and also tickled her stomach on two occasions.

Some of MitchellB次元官网网址檚 extensive social media communication with AB was saved, including a message he sent declaring it was B次元官网网址淣ational Holy Cow, YouB次元官网网址檙e Hot Day,B次元官网网址� and one saying B次元官网网址測ou would suck it not blow it.B次元官网网址�

In 2015, he encouraged her to move in with him, according to the report.

A witness identified as EF, who swam with the club from ages 12 to 16, testified she was under so much stress from dealing with Mitchell that she began drinking in Grade 8.

An initial investigation by a former board member of the FVWP in 2017 resulted in Mitchell being asked to apologize to one swimmer and take a Respect in Sport course. He was suspended for a time, but according to the former board member, Mitchell then dropped the board memberB次元官网网址檚 son from the team, allegedly in retaliation.

The son, identified as GH, testified that Mitchell would discuss pornographic websites and shared pick-up lines with the teenaged boys.

Although the WPC panel that heard the evidence did not confirm every single accusation made, the panel ruled that MitchellB次元官网网址檚 actions amounted to harassment and sexual harassment.

B次元官网网址淭he respondent displayed an utter failure to respect what conduct is appropriate and legal, and the nature of his duties when in a position of power and trust,B次元官网网址� the report stated.

Although Mitchell had already left the FVWP and Water Polo Canada, he has now been banned for life from taking part as a coach or at any WPC-sanctioned event, and he is banned from even attempting to be reinstated in the organization.

A parent formerly involved with the club, who asked to remain anonymous, said there were always rumours swirling about Mitchell.

He was suspended, and eventually an email was sent out letting parents know he had been let go by the club, said the parent.

The report was somewhat critical of the FVWP for a lack of oversight of MitchellB次元官网网址檚 behaviour.

B次元官网网址淎 remarkable thread that tracked through the evidence of many of the young witnesses was that the respondentB次元官网网址檚 behaviour, which the witnesses clearly viewed as aggressive to the point of being offensive, was known in large part to other adults in positions of authority B次元官网网址� including other coaches, parent observers, and association board members,B次元官网网址� said the report.

B次元官网网址淎lthough the sexual behaviour toward females was well concealed, the abusive yelling and swearing that the athletes described as being common at practices seems to have been observable to anyone within earshot of the pool.B次元官网网址�

FVWPB次元官网网址檚 website still mentions being founded by B次元官网网址淭he Mitchell brothers, a dedicated and highly accomplished B.C. water polo family.B次元官网网址�

The site also mentions it has entered a B次元官网网址渘ew eraB次元官网网址� recently with the hiring of a new head coach.

Mitchell participated in the early stages of the WPC hearing, but dropped out and ceased communicating with the WPC by the summer of 2018, according to the ruling.

Attempts were made to contact Justin Mitchell through email and Facebook messages for comment on the WPC decision, but he has not yet responded.