A former Olympic figure skater is facing charges that he sexually assaulted two women while coaching at an ice rink, WIS 10 reported.
An unidentified skater is being sued by two women. according to To the outlet. The newspaper said the federal lawsuit targets not only the coach in question, but also the National Figure Skating Authority in Colorado Springs, which is recognized by the rink and the United States Olympic Committee.
The legal team supporting this effort includes Bakari Sellers and Jessica Fickling of Strom Law Firm and Randall Hood of McGown, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC. They brought the case to the public's attention at a press conference Friday. The identities of the coach and Link have not been made public, the newspaper said.
A former Olympic figure skater is accused of sexually abusing two women, including a minor, while coaching at a South Carolina rink. https://t.co/qrfbNVL5Gp pic.twitter.com/bhycKqx5CX
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 3, 2024
The newspaper said the allegations include grooming, exploitation, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, rape and sexual misconduct.
According to the complaint, Victim 2 began taking skating lessons with the defendant in 2018 when she was 13 or 14 years old, WIS 10 reported. During training, the coach allegedly used inappropriate language toward the minor. The lawsuit also alleges that the coach allegedly touched her in a sexual manner. The newspaper said she suffered a mental breakdown after years of sexual abuse and eventually quit the sport altogether. (Related: Immigrant who assaulted NYPD officer may be on the run to California, police reportedly believe)
Similarly, Victim 1 began taking lessons from the Olympic athlete in August 2020 and also experienced sexual abuse, the paper noted. But according to the paper, her coach's behavior escalated after he persuaded the victim to meet him at a hotel, where he allegedly raped her.
Mr. Hood deplored the repeated nature of this predatory behavior and highlighted the failure to address and take action on repeated allegations. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Hood said, WIS 10 noted. “It’s not just two, it’s not just four, it’s not just 10, there’s 30, 50, 100, 200. We don’t know how many people were exploited, for how long, over a period of time. . They are our heroes. These two women are heroes. They are standing up for everyone else because unless they bring this about and make it known to everyone, it will be Because it continues unavoidably.”
