With new name, Pearl Street YMCA leaves a hurtful history behind | Opinion
The Morgan name was always going to come off the YMCA in west Tacoma. A new aquatic facility is rising out of the grounds of the current fitness center, and the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties said the building under construction would have a different name.
But the organization has rolled out the updated moniker without waiting for its new aquatic center to open later this year. In March, I noticed references to the Pearl Street Family YMCA popping up in the local YMCA’s communications and website.
It seems like a small change, but for some, it’s not. John Morgan is the name of a man who a former camper at YMCA Camp Seymour says failed in his responsibility to stop repeated sexual abuse at the camp in the 1970s.
Multiple lawsuits against the local YMCA over the issue have led to jury verdicts and settlements over allegations that two counselors habitually preyed on young campers.
So even though I expected to see Morgan’s name replaced, I sat up when I saw it happened early. However, there’s been no official indication that the name changed because of the former camper’s request.
I understand that it’s a difficult topic to navigate. Morgan died in 2014. I’ve never had to decide what to do with the legacy of a man who was beloved by many in his community, but whom others see as failing in his most important responsibility.
With that said, I can also understand that the pain of childhood abuse is compounded by the failure of adults to protect children when they’re victimized. And that thinking about a person who had the power to do something, but didn’t, is extremely distressing.
Ultimately, we need to think very hard about what message we send to people who are healing from abuse.
Initially, the YMCA announced it would name the new facility after Scott and Sis Names, whose family foundation contributes to fitness and sports-related projects around the region. But the organization shelved that plan after discussion with the foundation, and settled on the Pearl Street Family YMCA as the new building’s name.
The former camper, who used the initials K.S. to identify himself in court, spoke with my predecessor Matt Driscoll last year about his feelings on Morgan. Suffice it to say, his successful lawsuit against the YMCA was not the end of the story for him. To fully acknowledge the harm done, K.S. felt the YMCA should remove Morgan’s name from the YMCA location on Pearl Street.
That has happened. Though the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties hasn’t made an announcement, a spokesperson confirmed that the name change has already taken place.
I spoke to K.S. about the change, which he said was a relief. But it’s also too little too late. He’s steadfast in his belief that the name should have come off sooner. He believes that Morgan either knew of abuse allegations, or at least had information that should have tipped him off. However, K.S. acknowledges there’s no way to know for sure. Regardless, he stands by his argument.
“Why are we naming a Y after anybody that was in charge at that time, whether they knew or not, when these horrific things were happening over many years?” he said. “You don’t honor people who missed it.”
It’s unclear how other men who’ve gone to court over their experiences at Camp Seymour feel. A lawyer for one group of plaintiffs said they couldn’t talk to the news media due to the terms of their settlements.
In response to a question about whether the name change had anything to do with the abuse cases, the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties didn’t say yes or no.
“The Pearl Street Family YMCA name is truly a reflection of how the center is known and referenced in the community it serves,” the organization said in a statement. The organization also extended its deepest sympathies to the victims.
“That any children in our care would have been subjected to such mental and physical violations is entirely unacceptable, no matter how long ago,” the statement read. “Our focus is doing everything we can to keep our community safe today. We are committed to youth safety and well-being, and we have robust security protocols, practices, and training that protect all members of our community.
Senior communications director Jaclyn Ruckle said in an email there has been a gradual shift to the new name for practical reasons.
“Logistically, the name change has been made in different places along with the construction timeline to minimize costs,” Ruckle said. “For example, when one of the external signs needed to be demolished — we replaced both exterior signs at the same time.”
K.S. didn’t just make the case for removing Morgan’s name from the YMCA on Pearl Street in this newspaper. K.S. also recalls looking the YMCA’s leadership in the eye in court, and saying the organization should remove Morgan’s name from the building.
With the name changed, the situation weighs heavily on K.S. That it’s taken this long, that it happened quietly, and that the Y points to another reason for the name change — it’s not lost on him. He would like to hear acknowledgement that it should have happened sooner.
“Nobody who works at the Y now has anything to do with what happened to me. It’s just they made it worse by keeping that name on the building,” he said. “It makes me think the Y doesn’t care.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 1:44 PM.
