Gatineau gymnastics coach should get 30-day suspension, committee finds

A high-performance gymnastics coach at a Gatineau, Que., sport club should receive a 30-day suspension for inappropriate behaviour, a committee tasked with investigating his conduct says.

The Integrity Protection Committee (IPC) at Quebec non-profit Sport'Aide found Dave Fallon had engaged in "inappropriate" behaviour at work since Unigym Gatineau's inception in 2012.

In March 2023, Radio-Canada reported that several former coworkers, athletes and parents had denounced Fallon's methods and the environment he fostered at the club.

A formal complaint was filed last fall with the Quebec Complaints Officer, who handles accusations of abuse, harassment, negligence or violence.

Fallon, who has coached gymnastics for more than 25 years, has held various positions on the national circuit, including leading Quebec's gymnastics team at the 2023 Canada Games.

The IPC's report, obtained by Radio-Canada, raised five areas of concern about his behaviour.

The report said Fallon denigrated his athletes and subjected them to psychological violence on "countless" occasions while doing his job.

"The evidence demonstrates countless situations where the respondent [Fallon] made disparaging — even violent — comments with regard to several of his athletes," the document said in French. (All further quotations from the report are translated from the original French.)

It also described Fallon shouting loudly as part of his duties at the gym — something that constituted "psychological violence."

"A trainer is normally located a short distance from his athletes when he trains them," the report said. "It appears to the committee to be unnecessary for the respondent to have to shout so frequently to be heard."

The report also set out situations