Windsor coach suspended from Gymnastics Ontario for two years

A local gymnastics coach has been suspended following an investigation into allegations of “aggressive coaching behaviour.”

Gymnastics Ontario, the sport’s governing body within the province, issued a news release Tuesday stating Windsor area coach Diane Deslippe has had her membership suspended for a period of two years.

Gymnastics Ontario ordered an independent investigation into the allegations about Deslippe on May 14, 2022. As part of its complaints process, she was placed under immediate suspension from all its activities while the investigation and complaints process were completed.

According to the release, the discipline panel decided Deslippe’s approach to coaching did not respect “the inherent power imbalance” that exists between a coach and an athlete.

Excerpts from the panel’s decision cite “abuses of power” including yelling at athletes and coaches (though Deslippe referred to this as her ‘gym voice’), crying athletes and athletes training through injury.

Excerpts also show Deslippe told an investigator she has, “changed throughout the years in her coaching style to accommodate the rules of the Federation and the needs of each generation.”

“I am constantly evolving and assessing and moving forward,” she said.

The discipline panel found Deslippe’s coaching style did not evolve to the extent of what is required in the 2019 code of conduct.

“I find the Respondent [Ms. Deslippe], consciously or unconsciously, exploited her power to put her ideas of what is required to perform ahead of athlete health and safety,” the decision said. “Her failure to modify her expectations to accommodate athlete ability is a compounding factor in my finding.”

Gymnastics Ontario said it has a zero-tolerance with respect to the harm of any participant in its Federation.

- CTV News Windsor reached out to Deslippe, but she did not comment.