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March 29 2016

Athletics Canada Updates Criminal Record Check Policy In Wake Of Oversight

Athletics Canada has changed its policy on criminal record checks after discovering that the father and part-time coach of world champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber was convicted in the U.S. of having sex with a high school student.
 
George Barber, who was a teacher and coach in New Mexico, was convicted in 2007 of criminal sexual penetration of a 17-year-old student in 2005 and is a registered sexual offender in that state.
 
Athletics Canada does background checks on coaches but didn't pick this up because it happened in the U.S.
 
Spokesperson Mathieu Gentes said, "We 've just updated our policies, so for any international coaches there now has to be an Interpol search which would have found this".
 
The national governing body for track and field also banned him from coaching or representing the association in any capacity.