Foundation Demands that American Red Cross Change Dangerous Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor Certification Practices
Summerkids pool. Photo by Doug Forbes
9.9.20: General Counsel for the Red Cross pledged, in writing, to revoke Summerkids lifeguard and water safety certifications. However, according to the Red Cross digital database, all such certifications remain “Active.” Red Cross officials have not responded to Meow Meow Foundation’s demands/concerns about its failure to act. More information to come.
According to foundation principals Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas, the American Red Cross has not complied with demands to rectify systemic failures that contributed to the drowning death of their 6-year-old daughter Roxie.
While Forbes and Matyas said they continue to hold Summerkids—the Altadena recreational child care facility—primarily responsible for their daughter’s wholly preventable death, they are deeply disturbed by the ease with which such a deadly scheme could be executed.
The couple issued a demand letter to Red Cross General Counsel Phyllis Harris on August 10. Two weeks later, Vice President and Chief Counsel of Mission Operations Lori Polacheck agreed that Summerkids and their Red Cross representative Andrew Cervantes must be penalized for their actions.
“Good enough never is,” Forbes said. “Revoking certifications and barring those two parties from future training was only a small piece of what we demanded. Changing deficient Red Cross standards and protocols is absolutely critical to prevent deplorable actors from manifesting deplorable acts nationwide.” He said he is shocked that the Red Cross has yet to make such a commitment.
Summerkids hired Red Cross instructor Andrew Cervantes a decade ago. According to a series of documents, Summerkids owner-operator Cara DiMassa asked that Cervantes reduce requisite instruction time by 75 percent. She and her father Joe DiMassa thereafter paid a fraction of appropriate Red Cross fees. Cervantes complied and did not even test Summerkids employees for lifeguarding or water safety instruction before issuing bogus certifications.
“This is not simply about Summerkids,” said Matyas. “This is about our mission to protect and advise tens of millions of children and adults coast-to-coast. People trust the Red Cross brand, but they do not know that behind that brand lurks a disastrous lack of accountability.”
The couple has since issued their own response letter with further demands seen here.
