Here is a scenario;
Your DZ has an instructor that regularly teaches new and low number jumpers. This instructor is competent, accurate, and very good with their students. Now, this instructor ...
1: they are under investigation or convicted of an assault or other injurious crime (involuntary or voluntary manslaughter or worse). Having possibly served time for these. and/or
2: they are under investigation or convicted on drug charges; using, trafficking, distributing. Having possibly served time for these. and/or
3: this instructor is not accurate with their information and teachings, providing their students with bad information. Having students do poorly, on the verge of or even unsafe because of poor instruction when sent to other instructors.
Any or all of these situations exist. The DZ continues to employ the instructor. The club or DZO('s) see no problem having this person around. As an instructor in the same organization (USPA), or fellow instructor at the same DZ what are your thoughts, as a student what are your thoughts when you learn of these things?
Now what if a student is injured or killed in a manner related to this instructor. What are the DZ's liabilities, what are your liabilities as a fellow instructor, or just as an experienced jumper at the DZ. In the course of the injury/fatality investigation these things about the instructors past are revealed. Questions are brought up...was it possibly intentional harm (related to scenario 1) was the instructor impaired in some way (scenario 2) is the instructor capable of safely instructing? Is the DZ responsible because they employed the person, as a fellow instructor are you responsible for not reporting the situation, as an experienced jumper are you responsible for not reporting the situation to your S&TA?
It can probably be assumed that this situation('s) has occurred before somewhere, ( I have heard stories for 12 years from all around the country). What happened and how was it handled?
What are your thoughts on the above questions?
