In The New York Times, Professor Jodi Balsam Comments on Public Database of Barred Athletes

09/25/2018

Professor Jodi Balsam, a sports law expert and former in-house counsel at the National Football League, was quoted in a Sept. 25 story in The New York Times about efforts by the U.S. Center for SafeSport to develop a database of Olympic athletes, as well as others overseeing their development, who have been barred from their respective sports for sexual misconduct and other misdeeds.

The scope and inconsistencies of the multiple lists used to compile the repository have raised many questions—including the legality of collecting and publishing athletes’ names, as well as the accuracy and transparency of the information. Balsam suggested that SafeSport, which was created by the United States Olympic Committee in 2017 to investigate and rule on accusations of misconduct in Olympic sports, might consider informing people that their names will be part of the public database and offering them the opportunity to make a case for why they should not be included.

“There is good to be done here with the publication of this information,” she said. “It should be done responsibly, in a way that is not only legal but ethical.”

At the Law School, Balsam teaches courses on Professional Responsibility and Sports Law. She also serves as director of the Law School’s Externship Program. Balsam is regularly quoted in the media on a broad range of issues such as legalized sports gambling, labor-management relations, wearable technology, and sports related controversies.