38Shares

Coral Springs Terminates Swim Club Contract With Company That Faced Bullying Claims

Aquatic Center in Coral Springs.

Coral Springs commissioners on Wednesday voted to terminate the city’s contract with a company owned by former head swim club coach Bruno Darzi, opting to place the program under city control.

The decision came a year after multiple Coral Springs Swim Club parents and a teenage athlete alleged a toxic culture and bullying at the club, pinning the blame on Darzi and members of his coaching staff.

For years, the club has operated under the city’s contract with Darzi’s company, Swim Phish, which records show is registered in Coral Springs.

The allegations against Darzi and his coaching staff prompted an emotional defense from Darzi and an outpouring of support from his numerous backers, including former and current club members who refuted the allegations, lauded Darzi’s abilities, and spoke glowingly of the swim program’s culture.

Some of Darzi’s supporters also lobbed online attacks at his accusers and their family members, who went public with their claims at a city commission meeting last December. Former swim club member Ethan Persten, then 15, said bullying had led to an exodus of talented swimmers from the organization.

City officials last December opted to keep Darzi in his head coaching job following a city inquiry into the allegations.

At the time, Deputy City Manager Dale Pazdra said he and Parks and Recreation Director Rob Hunter had looked into the bullying claims and “were not able to substantiate a lot of the allegations … and that we were still considering how we move forward as far as the current contracted arrangement [with Darzi].”

Whole Body Dietitian Nutriiton Counseling

City Attorney John Hearn stressed during Wednesday’s meeting that the termination of Swim Phish’s contract with Coral Springs was not for cause but rather for the city’s convenience.

Officials said Darzi no longer lives in Coral Springs; in July, he left his city-contracted coaching job to accept an associate head coach position with the Boston College swim program.

Darzi now works under Dara Torres, a Coral Springs Swim Club alumna and Olympic gold medalist who Darzi formerly coached.

Coral Springs City Commissioner Joshua Simmons, who voted unanimously with his colleagues Wednesday to terminate Swim Phish’s contract, said he wanted to share with residents “how we got to this point.”

“We had a number of parents come out, and there was a lot of drama exposed with this swim program,” Simmons said. “Our city staff continue to try to work with what was in place in terms of trying to make sure we remove some of that so that at the end of the day, the only thing that should be happening is that these children are being cared for, coached, and supported as they chase their dreams.”

“Unfortunately, there were some things going on that needed to be addressed and we continue to try to work through that to make this a better system,” Simmons added. “What we are now going to do, like most major cities, is bring [the swim club administration] in house so that we have better control over making sure our children are protected and supported and feel that they’re in a safe place.”

The swim club’s current coaching staff, led by head coach and Olympic bronze medalist Bruno Fratus, will be allowed to reapply for their jobs under the new, city-controlled club program.

Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Justin Ellis told commissioners that coaches would be recruited and hired as city employees while parents would continue to play a significant role in the club’s operations.

The city-run program will “emulate some other cities around us, such as Fort Lauderdale and Plantation, where they have a swim program run by city staff,” said Ellis.

“Similar to how Fort Lauderdale operates their swim program, they have a memorandum of understanding with a local parent group, and we would look to emulate that.”

There will not be any lapse in coaching for the swim club’s members, Ellis said.

“This is something that is ultimately going to be in the best interest of the children that are swimming in that program,” Simmons said.

Commissioner Shawn Cerra said the city’s goal was to ensure consistency for club swimmers.

“I love the idea of taking this under our wing,” he said.

Send Your News to Coral Springs’s #1 Award-Winning News Site Here. Don’t Miss Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Margate Talk, and South FL News.

Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.