Today Kirk Shipley was sentenced to 36 months in prison, two years of probation, and will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. 

Walt Whitman Crew fully cooperated with the government’s prosecution of Shipley and our thoughts are with the courageous victims that came forward to produce today’s outcome.  As the Assistant United States Attorney described during today’s hearing, Shipley’s continued attempts at manipulation had led to a recommendation from the probation office that Shipley receive no time in jail, but as a direct result of the brave and impactful statements made today by the three victims and our community, Judge Maribeth Raffinan rejected that recommendation and imposed a much more significant sentence. 

While today’s result does not negate the damage that Shipley has done, we hope that it can serve as an important step in bringing some closure to our current and former rowers.  Our priority at Walt Whitman Crew is the well-being and safety of our student athletes and we will continue to make resources available to current or former rowers as they process Shipley’s sentencing.