Hawaii reviewing men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade’s sexual misconduct case
The University of Hawaii is reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct against Charlie Wade, head coach of the top-ranked Rainbow Warriors men’s volleyball program, the university announced Thursday.
The university’s announcement comes a day after a Southern California News Group report that Wade has continued to coach the Big West champions this season while being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and suspended since September from participating in any USA Volleyball-sanctioned events.
The specter of sexual misconduct allegations against high profile coaches threatens to overshadow the NCAA tournament which opened Thursday and concludes with the national title match at Walter Pyramid on the Long Beach State May 4.
Scott Touzinsky, an assistant for No. 2 seed Long Beach State and a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, left the 49ers program Wednesday a day after it was revealed he was sanctioned by the U.S. Center for SafeSport following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving an underage female athlete.
Like Wade, Touzinsky had continued coaching during the current college season despite being suspended by USA Volleyball and SafeSport since July.
An attorney for Wade has requested updates on the ongoing SafeSport investigation on multiple occasions since April 4, according to the university. SafeSport, however, has not responded, according to the university.
The alleged victim has also expressed frustration about the length of the SafeSport investigation and the lack of updates and responsiveness from SafeSport staff, according to persons familiar with the case.
Wade denies “any type of misconduct” and has cooperated with the SafeSport investigation, the university said.
Wade and Hawaii athletic director David Matlin have not responded to requests for comment.
SafeSport does not discuss “specific matters to protect the integrity of the investigative process and those involved, including witnesses and potential victims,” a spokesman for SafeSport said in an email Thursday.
Under Wade, a former Cal State Fullerton women’s assistant coach and Redondo Beach native, Hawaii is 27-2 this season and the top-seed in the NCAA tournament.
USA Volleyball in February 2018 became aware of sexual misconduct allegations regarding Wade and an underage female athlete who played for him at Magnum Volleyball Club in Orange County club in the early 1990s, according to SafeSport and USA Volleyball documents. The alleged misconduct continued during the woman’s college career, according to SafeSport and USA Volleyball documents.
USA Volleyball forwarded the case to SafeSport in March 2018 but the center did not contact the alleged victim for another month, according to SafeSport documents and a person familiar with the case. SafeSport began investigating in July or August and agreed that the allegations fell under the center’s jurisdiction in September..
Wade was placed on an interim measure-suspension Sept. 5, 2018, pending a SafeSport investigation, according to USA Volleyball and SafeSport records
Wade has been listed as suspended on a public list on the USA Volleyball website since at least last fall.
According to SafeSport, under an interim measure-suspension the individual under investigation “is prohibited from participating in any capacity in any activity or competition authorized by, organized by, or under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee, the national governing bodies recognized by the USOC, and/or a Local Affiliated Organization of a national governing body recognized by the ‘USOC pending final resolution of the matter.”
NCAA events do not fall under SafeSport, USOC or USA Volleyball authority, so suspended coaches are not prohibited by rule from coaching on collegiate teams while under investigation by SafeSport.
“There are media reports that University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Head Men’s Volleyball Coach Charlie Wade is under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport regarding an allegation of possible misconduct with a female athlete. The incident is alleged to have happened approximately 30 years ago in California when he was coaching a club volleyball team,” Hawaii said in its statement Thursday.
“UH takes any allegations of misconduct seriously. The university is actively reviewing the matter and is awaiting the conclusion of the SafeSport investigation.
“Wade strongly denies that any type of misconduct took place. In his years at UH, as the women’s volleyball assistant coach and as the men’s coach, he has never been accused of this type of misconduct and has always handled himself with the highest level of professionalism.
“Wade cooperated with the SafeSport investigation as soon as he was notified in September 2018,” the statement continued. “He still has not been been interviewed and has not heard from SafeSport since. His attorney formally requested, multiple times and as recently as April 4, that SafeSport provide an update to the investigation. SafeSport has yet to respond.”
Touzinsky received a “Formal Warning” from the U.S. Center for SafeSport last week but was declared “eligible” to return to USA Volleyball-sanctioned events even though the center found the “allegations were substantiated,” according to SafeSport documents. The allegations of Touzinsky’s sexual misconduct involving an underage female volleyball player in 2013 or 2014 in Canada have been known within USA Volleyball for more than a year.
The fact that Touzinsky was under investigation by SafeSport has been on a public list on USA Volleyball’s website since at least last fall.
Long Beach State in a statement Wednesday prior to Touzinsky’s resignation denied knowing about the allegations against Touzinsky until recently. The university decided to take no further action against Touzinsky following a review of the matter, the statement said.