Two Women Sue Figure Skating Coach For Sex Abuse

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Two young women in South Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit against their figure skating coach, a former Olympian, over claims that he sexually assaulted them.

The lawsuit alleges that the abuse began in as early as 2018 when one of the victims was 14 years old. It accuses the coach of a number of offenses that includes grooming, inappropriate comments and touching and even rape.

Attorneys say if either the skating rink or a national figure skating government body had investigated multiple sexual misconduct complaints against the coach made before 2018, he would have been fired or arrested well before he met the victims.

“Without them bringing this to the knowledge of everyone, it continues unabated,” Attorney Randy Hood said. “It just keeps going. People keep getting hurt.”

The lawsuit does not identify the coach. Attorneys say this lawsuit is the latest in an unfortunate trend of young athletes becoming sexual assault victims at the hands of their coaches.