Former swimmer Ethan Persten alleged bullying at the Coral Springs Swim Club during Wednesday’s city commission meeting. (46:38)
By Kevin Deutsch
Several former Coral Springs Swim Club swimmers have joined multiple city residents in defending head coach Bruno Darzi, calling allegations of bullying and a toxic culture made by residents at Wednesday’s city commission meeting false.
In an email message to Coral Springs Talk, University of Florida student Alejandro Alvarez said he swam with the Coral Springs Swim Club for over ten years. A four-year swimmer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to an online biography, Alvarez was “a premier freestyler” for the city swim club who excelled in multiple swim events and recalled his time swimming for Darzi fondly.
In his written message, Alvarez mounted a full-throated defense of Darzi.
“I have recently been made aware that some of the coaches and families who left CSSC, Coral Springs Swim Club, are trying to take the club from Bruno Darzi, and I believe that this is unacceptable,” Alvarez wrote. “… I had many different coaches through all the groups but I can confidently say that Bruno was the best coach I ever had. He would always push me in a positive way which helped not only improve my actual swimming, but I also learned many life lessons.”
“Bruno is the best mentor I have had in my life, and I am glad I was able to spend many years of my life with him as my coach,” Alvarez added.
Another athlete who swam for Darzi, Grant Aran, also defended his former coach. Aran said he was a member of the National Team of the Coral Springs Swim Club for six years and athlete representative of the club for two years.
“I have never experienced more of a positive atmosphere in the sport of swimming than being apart of CSSC,” Aran told Coral Springs Talk in a written statement. “If Bruno truly was indifferent to toxicity and bullying then the complaints of alleged bullying would not only come from those who have left the team and are seeking personal benefit against Bruno Darzi but the everyday family that is a part of the club which is simply not the case.”
A third former club swimmer, Megan Schimansky, shared a letter she said she sent to city commissioners refuting the allegations made against Darzi.
“Bruno Darzi is an amazing swim coach but an even better human being,” the 24-year-old wrote. “I have known Bruno since I was 9 years old and he has greatly impacted my life for the better … Bruno has always treated ALL of his swimmers with nothing less than kindness and respect.”
Schimansky called Darzi “the heart of the Coral Springs Swim Club” and said “removing him from his position would be devastating to this community and incredibly unfair after all he has done.”
Several other residents reached out to Coral Springs Talk to anonymously offer praise for Darzi, calling him a skilled and caring coach. They declined to speak on the record.
Some online commenters on Coral Springs Talk also refuted the allegations against the coach, which were made during the public comments portion of Wednesday’s commission meeting.
Speaking to the mayor and commissioners, former swim club member Ethan Persten, 15, said he had been “the victim of several bullying situations” in the club and alleged that dysfunction in the program had led to an exodus of talented swimmers. He said the issues have persisted for years and included alleged bullying by coaching staff members as well as some swimmers.
“These swimmers continued to bully me emotionally and mentally over the course of years with no consequences to them at all,” Persten said.
Martha Persten, Ethan’s mother, told the commission she had informed city officials last month of the “magnitude of toxicity and bullying that has been going on in the Coral Springs [Swim] Club, enabled by the owner and head coach of that team, Mr. Bruno Darzi.”
She said she provided the city with complaints from other parents of former club swimmers and asked the city to install new leadership at the club.
Solanger Villanueva told the commission her daughter swam for the club for two years and was bullied by a member of Darzi’s coaching staff, with Darzi’s knowledge.
Glen Hanks, whose children went through the swim club program, also criticized Darzi’s tenure, as did another resident who spoke at the meeting.
As of Saturday, Darzi had not responded to an email from a Coral Springs Talk reporter seeking comment.
Several commenters on Coral Springs Talk’s story about Wednesday’s meeting blasted the allegations and the accusers, defending both Darzi and his program.
“My kids have been on the Coral Springs Swim Club for over ten years, and I have absolutely no clue what these people are talking about,” said a commenter posting under the name Andrew Robins. “My kids love the coaches, especially Bruno, and the only bullying they have ever dealt with came from some of the same kids who now say they were bullied and quit after they were disciplined.”
Two people who contacted Coral Springs Talk said the city swim club is part of the USA Swimming Safe Sport Club Recognition Program, created to “respond to and prevent instances of abuse and misconduct within the sport of swimming.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, City Manager Frank Babinec said city officials have conducted interviews in connection with the situation and are gathering information. He said a recommendation would be brought to the commission based on the city’s findings and that staff was moving quickly to address the issue.
“We do have an active contract with this coach, so that would come back to the commission for action,” Babinec said.
Reached by phone Saturday, Commissioner Joy Carter said:
“As a commissioner, I have received emails from both sides,” some supporting Darzi and some critical of him.
“There is a contract in place with Mr. Darzi,” Carter said. “The city will follow its protocols for review.”
Darzi, who has coached for more than 24 years, serves as the Southern Zone Coach Director representing 15 Local Swimming Committees from nine different states, as well as the Florida Gold Coast General Chair, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“The Olympic-caliber coach has coached several Olympic swimmers including five-time Olympian Dara Torres and three-time Olympians Vlad Polyakov and Arlene Semeco and senior, junior and collegiate swimmers,” states Darzi’s biography on the swim club’s page. “Darzi has coached on the international scene, including the Summer Olympics, Pan American Championships, and South American Championships.”
The biography also says Darzi was chosen as a member of the FGC All-Star coaching staff in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and is a five-time member of the Southern Zone Team Championships FGC coaching staff.
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