Earth Treks Owner Responds to Staff Sex Charges: 'We Had the Fox Guarding the Henhouse'

The president of Earth Treks, the climbing gym in Columbia rocked by sex offense charges against two of its coaches, told members in an e-mail Monday that the instructor charged in the worst of the offenses taught other coaches on appropriate relationships between coaches and athletes.

“Sadly, with Michael Lyons serving as the head coach, we had the fox guarding the henhouse,” Chris Warner wrote to members in a long message of apology obtained by Patch.

Last month, Lyons, 31, of Rockville, an Earth Treks climbing instructor, was of a 14-year-old female student. Two weeks later, another climbing instructor, was charged in four misdemeanor sex offenses against a minor.

“We are devastated,” Warner wrote, referring to the reaction of his staff. “The betrayal of our trust was so great, the crimes so repulsive, the shock so abrupt, that we were all sent into a spiral of grief.”

Lyons’s attorney, Carol Hanson, in the Howard County district public defender’s office, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. A spokesman with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office said it appeared no defense attorney had yet been registered for Montague.

Warner said that Lyons was a coach for the U.S. National Team with impressive credentials and that both staff members passed criminal background checks.

“Both staff members were well aware of Earth Treks' policies and procedures regarding youth protection,” he wrote. “Michael taught these to the coaching staff at trainings. As part of that training, he frequently told the story of a staff member who we fired, and banned from the gyms for life, for sending text messages to a minor.”

He said both staff members’ employment has been terminated.

“The two staff members involved violated their responsibilities, our core values, our community's moral code and the law,” he wrote.

Warner promised to members that the gym would review its criminal background check procedures and is working with several industry organizations, including the Climbing Wall Association, to develop “best practices for the climbing industry.”

He said the gym has drug tested all of its staff for a “dozen years” and has run background checks on select staff positions, such as summer camp staff and coaches who take young people to competitions.

“I want to apologize to you for the effects that this tragedy has had on you,” wrote Warner. “It is unfair that you, your community and your sport have been tarnished by the events of the past few weeks. You deserve better.”

Howard County Police said the charges against Lyons stemmed from incidents between April 2011 and June 2011 at the Earth Treks climbing gym on the 7100 block of Columbia Gateway Drive. 

Earth Treks also has locations in Timonium, Rockville and Washington, D.C., according to its website.

Court records indicate the charges against Montague involved incidents between March 2011 and June 2011.

In the e-mail, Warner wrote that Earth Treks is working with counseling groups to help the team members and parents most affected.

He said an investigation is ongoing and more charges could be brought.