What rumors are ever factual though? That's why they're rumors. Who knows how many people have relayed the information before it even gets to Coach Pete - much less Swimmer - and it could end up being like the telephone game where the original message is a simple 5 word sentence but by the time it gets to the last person, it's three paragraphs that only mention a version of the original 5 word sentence?
Anything is possible, but someone is in the wrong. Can't place the blame anywhere. Now if the info keeps turning out to be false, at some point I'm blaming everyone who continues to relay it. But we'll see.