Updated March 28: Andrew Temkin was reinstated as a member in good standing with the U.S. Equestrian Federation following arbitration with the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

Andrew Temkin, a former U.S. Equestrian Federation and Fédération Equestre Internationale eventing official and member of USEF’s now-defunct SafeSport Ad Hoc Task Force, has been listed as permanently ineligible by the U.S. Center For SafeSport for sexual misconduct with a minor.

The Center’s decision was handed down Oct. 25, but in a statement regarding the Center’s decision, USEF representatives acknowledged the organization received a complaint about Temkin about five years ago.

“In 2013, we received a claim from a third party accusing Mr. Temkin of inappropriate behavior,” Bill Moroney, USEF CEO, stated through a representative. “However, that person was unwilling to provide any information that could be used to initiate a proper investigation into the claim.”

Earlier this year a complaint regarding Temkin was made to the U.S. Center For SafeSport, and Temkin was placed on temporary suspension in July. USEF representatives would not confirm whether the complaint received in 2013 was the same complaint made to the SafeSport Center in 2018.

“We can say that, unlike the 2013 complaint, in 2018 fact witnesses were identified, and they cooperated with investigators,” said Julian McPeak, USEF’s director of marketing and communications.

Temkin could not be reached for comment.

Temkin, San Rafael, California, competed through the CCI*** level, and he served as an S-level eventing technical delegate and an FEI two-star eventing technical delegate. In addition, Temkin served on the USEF SafeSport Ad Hoc Task Force—a group that formed in January of 2018 on the request of USEF CEO Murray Kessler to draft a rule that, among other things, would expand SafeSport training requirements. That group completed its mission and presented a proposal at the USEF Midyear Board Meeting in June.

Diane Pitts, chair of the USEF’s Governance Committee and former president of the U.S. Eventing Association, asked Temkin to serve on the task force, which was headed by USHJA President Mary Babick.

“Murray gave me free rein to choose the other members [on the committee]. I chose Diane Pitts from USEA,” said Babick. “She asked if she could send a designee, and I agreed. Andrew was that designee. I had never heard of him. He was great on the committee—very strong about the importance of SafeSport. Life does throw curveballs, and this was just that. I was really shocked to hear the news.”

Pitts clarified that she asked Temkin to be on the task force because the group was drafting the language of USEF’s SafeSport rule change, and Temkin, 47, is an attorney.

“I was not aware of any complaint against Andrew in 2013,” said Pitts. “Andrew was familiar with the issues involved in the language and, absent any information to the contrary, I believe was the appropriate person to include on that [committee] from eventing.”

According to USEF representatives, Kessler, Babick and Pitts were all unaware of the 2013 complaint. The 2013 complaint was made to USEF General Counsel Sonja Keating.

“It was a third-party complaint without sufficient information to initiate an investigation and was treated as confidential, as requested by the reporting party,” said Moroney.

Temkin will now be banned from coaching, competing, attending or officiating at any USEF-recognized events. Temkin is also suspended from the FEI, as all individuals suspended from the USEF are reciprocally.

To view a full list of individuals with SafeSport violations, click here.