Coaches and student-athletes often have close relationships. And as we've seen over the last few years, countless coaches have used that close relationship to sexually abuse student-athletes. However, only some coaches faced accusations, charges or arrests for their...
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Youth Athletic Organizations
New Hampshire Gov. Signs Off on $100M Settlement for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse at Youth Development Center
Two years ago, a criminal investigation was launched into the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester, NH, after years of allegations of sexual abuse were reported. Formerly known as the Youth Development Center, New Hampshire’s state juvenile detention center received hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits by more than 450 former teens of the facility, some dating back as far as the…
Pembroke Pines Taekwondo Instructor Robert Franco Arrested For Hidden Cameras in Bathroom
On Friday, August 6, 2021, Robert Franco, a martial arts instructor in Pembroke Pines, surrendered himself to the Broward County Jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest. According to Pembroke Pines police, Robert Franco, ago 64, allegedly placed hidden cameras in the restroom of his academy, Master Franco’s Taekwondo Academy, located at 11090 Pines Boulevard. Investigators reported that…
Young Athletes Deserve Protection
Two of the saddest sentences we can imagine are in a recent article about child sex crimes at “arguably the world’s leading soccer finishing school, the launching pad for dozens of top professional players.” Early in the article, we read “In almost every case, investigations later found, rumors and claims of misbehavior and abuse were well known but ignored.” And…
POPULAR MIAMI-DADE TRACK COACH ARRESTED ON CHILD SEX ABUSE CHARGES
POPULAR MIAMI-DADE TRACK COACH ARRESTED FOR SEXUAL BATTERY Miami Gardens Xpress Track Club founder and head coach Darius Lawshea, 45, turned himself into Miami Gardens police on Sunday, October 25, 2020 after two sisters said he molested them. He reportedly raped the older sister when she was 14, and several years later, the younger sister at 15. According to one…
HOROWITZ LAW FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BOYS & GIRLS CLUB ALLEGING SEXUAL ABUSE OF 13 YEAR OLD GIRL
HOROWITZ LAW FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB ALLEGING SEXUAL ABUSE OF 13 YEAR OLD GIRL In September 2020, Horowitz Law filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually abused while she was enrolled during the 2019 summer session at the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County located at 877 NW 61st…
The Very Real Problem of Sexual Abuse in the Wrestling Industry
Wrestling may be best known for its entertainment value and its pre-determined outcomes. But right now the entire wrestling industry is deal with a very real crisis of sexual abuse. Last week, “a wave of sexual assault and harassment allegations hit Twitter as several names from WWE, NWA and across the wrestling scene have been accused of serious allegations by…
U.S.T.A. FAILS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM PEDOPHILE COACH
U.S.T.A. FAILS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM PEDOPHILE COACH The United States Tennis Association (U.S.T.A.) is named in a new lawsuit alleging that it failed to protect young tennis players from a well known Bay Area coach arrested twice for repeatedly sexually abusing minors for decades. According to The New York Times, transcripts from the 2010 trial revealed the testimony of…
Dioceses. Boy Scouts. USA Gymnastics: The Real Reason They’re Crying “BANKRUPTCY”
Increasingly, venerable institutions like the Boy Scouts, the USA Gymnastics and Catholic dioceses say they are going into bankruptcy because of child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits. So maybe it’s time to re-think those suits and the laws that enable them? To put it bluntly, that’s a crazy idea. Bear with us as we explain. For starters, let’s look…
Coaches Crossing Boundaries
COACHES Here’s the trouble with detecting sexually abusive coaches and trainers. Their jobs often require them to physically touch kids. That means it’s sometimes tougher to spot and stop grooming and abuse. If your Lutheran pastor or math tutor or Methodist choir director or Scout leader or middle school principal has his or her hands on a youngster, alarm bells…