The Orange County Register reported that Dagny Knutson, former USA Swimming National Team member, won $647,800 for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud by Richard Foster, her former attorney.
The trial lasted more than two weeks and featured Olympic champion – Nancy Hogshead-Makar, as an expert witness and current law school professor, and Olympian Janet Evans.
The suit claimed that Mark Schubert, USA Swimming National Team Director at the time, made a deal with Knutson to support her national team training at a newly established National Center of Excellence in Southern California. However, Schubert was placed on leave by USA Swimming two months into the program and was eventually terminated. Knutson was then told by USA Swimming officials that only part of the agreement would be honored.
Knutson, encouraged by Foster, accepted a financial agreement with USA Swimming that was worth less than the original Schubert deal.
The jury returned a verdict that said Foster willfully concealed information while advising her to accept a financial settlement with USA Swimming. Discovery documents revealed confidential, behind the scene discussions with Foster and Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director for USA Swimming, that helped convince the jury that Foster was not representing Knutson’s best interests.
Foster, a former president of United States Aquatic Sports and USA Water Polo, said he would appeal the verdict. “Sometimes juries make bad decisions and I think this is a good example,” Foster told the OC Register.
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But somehow Chuck and USA Swimmjng lied here and have no accountability again.
I’d say Mark should be included in that but after countless lawsuits and other reveals, it’s clear he was not of a sane mind and should’ve been in a mental facility instead of his position.