A coach at the Bend Endurance Academy has been charged in Washington state with third degree child molestation following a trip there last summer.
A police report from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office says Brady Wayne Kendrick, 37, was arrested after a teenage girl from Bend came forward after a trip to Leavenworth, Wash in June. The girl claimed that Kendrick touched her upper thigh and her breast.
The documents say Kendrick later asked the girl not to say anything.
At least two other girls have since come forward reporting being touched in an uncomfortable manner as teenagers by Kendrick, the documents say. No charges have been filed related to these claims.
Several boys also made statements to police with concerns about Kendrick’s behavior toward teenage girls.
Central Oregon Daily News received this information from police records. We are not sharing these because they could potentially identify the victim.
The Bend Endurance Academy on Tuesday released a statement saying it contacted law enforcement as soon as it learned of the allegations. It also put Kendrick on leave and says he is no longer employed there.
Bend Police arrested Kendrick Monday on an out-of-state warrant.
Charging documents say the crime is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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The police documents say Kendrick has been a coach with Bend Endurance Academy “for several years.” The group defines itself as a “non-profit organization based in Central Oregon with a mission to promote healthy living through active, outdoor experiences.”
Here is the full statement from Bend Endurance Academy:
Bend Endurance Academy (“BEA”) has supported a full investigation conducted by the Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority (“ODHS/OHA”) and other authorities concerning alleged misconduct involving BEA’s former Rock Climbing Director, Brady Kendrick. When BEA was initially notified of the allegation, BEA immediately reported the incident to ODHS/OHA, local law enforcement, and the US Center for SafeSport. Additionally, BEA immediately placed Mr. Kendrick on leave. To ensure the on-going investigations, BEA staff cannot currently discuss any incident precipitating the allegations of misconduct involving Mr. Kendrick or provide additional information regarding Mr. Kendrick’s employment history with BEA beyond confirming that Mr. Kendrick is no longer employed by BEA.
BEA takes an allegation of this nature very seriously. We communicated directly with the families of our climbing program participants, including describing BEA’s measures to both support a full investigation and to ensure the on-going safety of the student participants enrolled in our programs or otherwise affiliated with BEA.
Although Mr. Kendrick is no longer an employee of BEA, our climbing programs have continued under new leadership provided by existing staff and coaches. As part of those on-going programs, BEA continues to provide training and education to its employees regarding procedures to safeguard all individuals involved in youth sports.
The entire BEA community is concerned that even allegations of misconduct could arise from within our organization. BEA prioritizes the safety and positive development of every member of our community, including our student athletes, staff, families and other members of the public. Over the last 13 years of running programs, BEA has always strived to earn the trust and respect of the broader Central Oregon community and families that participate in our programs. Accordingly, BEA always has taken – and always will take – any and all necessary actions to sustain and value the trust and support provided by Central Oregon families.
BEA encourage families within our community to look into our local child abuse prevention and assessment center, the KIDS Center, which has a resource page with helpful information to guide conversations with your children: https://www.kidscenter.org/child-abuse-resources We would also encourage those involved within youth sports to seek out information regarding abuse in sport, reporting and education tools at: https://uscenterforsafesport.org/
