Former Olympian figure skater is accused of sexually abusing two women – including a minor – while coaching at South Carolina rink

A former Olympic figure skater has been accused of sexually assaulting two women – including a minor – while coaching at the ice rink in South Carolina.

Last week, a federal lawsuit was filed against the coach, the rink and the national governing body for figure skating – which is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee.

Attorneys for the alleged victims, Bakari Sellers and Jessica Fickling of Strom Law Firm, and Randall Hood of McGown, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, announced the lawsuit during a news conference Friday.

(performance sports)

The lawyers did not name the coach or the other defendants, but detailed some of the sickening abuse claims.

“We see the same thing over and over again,” Hood said. “Predators like this coach don’t get caught because those in charge ignore the repeated complaints against them. If they refuse to protect our young athletes, the courts will do it for them.”

He added that more and more people are coming forward to share stories about the coach who he alleges groomed and exploited young ladies under the age of 18.

The national governing body of U.S. Figure Skating is identified in the lawsuit as “ABC Skating Federation, Inc., based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.”

“They certified this coach, they allowed this coach to communicate and be certified as a coach under their authority,” Holland said Friday.

At the rink in Irmo, South Carolina, he said it is the responsibility of the facility to monitor, supervise and protect the children who go there to learn to skate.”

“When these national governing bodies don’t do what they’re supposed to do — don’t verify, don’t qualify, don’t certify properly, and don’t create policies and procedures properly — bad things happen.

“And in this case, you have a number of young women who have been attacked, abused, exploited, groomed in South Carolina and it all starts at the top.”

He told DailyMail.com that the young women had decided to come forward now because they ‘felt someone had to do something’.

“We think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Holland added.

He said: ‘We think there are other coaches in other places where this has happened, because we have seen in other cases in youth sports organizations and national governing bodies – like Larry Nassar and gymnastics – that there are not just two, but there are’ there are not just four, there are not just ten, but there are thirty, and fifty, and a hundred and two hundred, and we do not know how many of them have been exploited, for how long or for what period’.

The lawyers claimed that some of the abuse took place at the ice rink.

During the press conference, they called the two female “heroes” for being brave enough to speak out.

The complaint anonymously identifies the coach as “John Roe” and the rink in Irmo, SC as “XYZ Skating Rink, Inc.”

According to the complaint, the coach met the two women at the ice rink where he worked, certified by the national body.

The lawsuit alleged that Roe “groomed, touched and acted inappropriately” during his time as coach.

According to the complaint, Roe had complaints against him because of previous coaching jobs. It stated that if the rink had properly investigated his hiring, he would not have been considered.

The lawsuit alleged that the rink and the skating federation were complacent in allowing the grooming, exploitation, harassment, abuse and collective “sexual misconduct” of the plaintiffs in the case.

One of the victims, identified as Jane Doe No. 1, said Roe became her coach and mentor in August 2020. The lawsuit said he often made statements to her, including: “You have such perfect legs, I wish I could see them someday.”

Other comments included: “You’re my favorite” and “I love you.”

He also insisted that she wear “more sexy skating clothes.”

The lawsuit alleged that “he accelerated his grooming of her, continued to pressure her and began to exploit Jane Doe No. 1.”

“The continued pressure and exploitation included Roe’s expectations of some form of sexual interaction,” the complaint alleged.

“Roe stated that he knew that Jane Doe #1 did not want vaginal intercourse because she was a virgin and that there were ways he could penetrate her and still leave her a virgin,” the complaint said.

The complaint stated that “around January 28, 2023, Roe convinced her to go with him to a hotel room.

“While there at one point, Roe undressed Jane Doe #1, began kissing her and after emphasizing that she did not want to lose her virginity, Roe took advantage of the situation and turned her against Jane Does’ wishes and consent on her. abdominal and anal raped her.’

Jane Doe No. 2 said she started taking lessons with him at age 14. She said she saw Roe every day except Sunday.”

A month after their lessons, he began touching her inappropriately, the complaint alleged.

He also began to control her food intake, setting rules for what Jane Doe #2 could eat and praising her when she lost weight – but shaming and belittling her if she disobeyed or didn’t look thin enough on a given day. , was the complaint.

“This led to an eating disorder and body dysmorphia that Jane Doe #2 continues to struggle with today,” it added.

The lawsuit also alleged that “Roe regularly came to classes intoxicated.”

“In 2021, Jane Doe #2 suffered a complete nervous breakdown and left skating,” the complaint said.

The victims said they “suffered immeasurable losses and will likely require psychiatric care for the rest of their lives.”

Sellers said at the press conference: “We are incredibly proud to represent these young women for their courage and determination. But this is not an isolated incident.”

“We believe there are more victims, more young athletes who have suffered at the hands of this coach and others, and we encourage them to come forward.”