If your child was harmed in an Orlando cheer team or another local sports league, you are not just dealing with the actions of a single predator. You are facing the failure of an entire organization that was supposed to protect them. You likely have urgent questions about how to hold that organization accountable, what the deadlines are for taking action, and how to secure the resources your child needs to heal.
You do not have to find these answers on your own.
At Horowitz Law, our entire practice is built around one mission: securing justice for survivors of sexual abuse. We have spent years holding powerful institutions accountable for failing to keep children safe. We understand the path forward because we have walked it alongside families like yours.
For a completely confidential conversation about your legal options, call our cheer teams and youth sports sexual abuse attorney in Orlando at (954) 641-2100.
Orlando Cheer Teams and Youth Sports Sexual Abuse Guide
- Horowitz Law Stands with Survivors of Youth Sports Abuse
- Holding Organizations Accountable: What Does Justice Look Like?
- The Landscape of Youth Sports in Orlando and Central Florida
- Recognizing the Pattern: How Grooming Happens in Youth Sports
- How Can a Sports Organization Be Held Legally Responsible?
- What to Expect When You Pursue a Claim
- Protecting Your Family's Rights While You Heal
- FAQ for Orlando Youth Sports Sexual Abuse Claims
- Your Child Deserved to Be Safe
Horowitz Law Stands with Survivors of Youth Sports Abuse
A National Practice Focused Solely on Survivors
Our firm, founded by Adam Horowitz, has dedicated its entire practice to representing survivors of sexual abuse and molestation. We handle these sensitive cases exclusively, which allows us to develop a deep understanding of the legal strategies required to succeed.
We represent clients across the nation and have extensive experience in Florida's court systems. Our focus is singular: pursuing justice for those who have been harmed by institutional negligence.
A Record of Holding Institutions Accountable
We have a long history of securing significant verdicts and settlements against organizations that failed in their duty to protect children. This includes cases against youth organizations, schools, daycares, and other groups responsible for creating a safe environment.
Adam Horowitz achieved a landmark $70 million jury verdict for a sexual assault survivor and has helped establish legal precedents that expand the rights of survivors in Florida.
Recognized for Compassionate and Effective Advocacy
Our commitment to survivors is recognized by both our clients and our peers in the legal community:
- South Florida’s Most Effective Lawyer (Daily Business Review)
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating for legal skill and ethical standards.
- A perfect 10.0 Client Rating on Avvo.
- Recipient of the Legacy of Justice Award from victim advocates in 2024.
Our entire team, including attorneys like DeeDee Scheller, is consistently praised by clients for providing clear, supportive guidance through the civil justice system.
Our Commitment to You
When you work with Horowitz Law, you should expect:
- A Free, Confidential Case Review: We will listen to your story, answer your questions, and explain your options without any cost or obligation.
- A Contingency Fee Basis: You will not pay any legal fees unless we successfully recover compensation for you. Simply put, if you don't get paid, we don't get paid.
- Direct and Personalized Attention: We use a trauma-informed approach in our practice, ensuring you are supported and informed at every stage of the legal process.
Our Orlando office is located on 17 E. Pine Street.
Holding Organizations Accountable: What Does Justice Look Like?
A civil lawsuit serves two purposes. First, it seeks to provide the financial resources your family needs for recovery. Second, it holds the negligent organization responsible, forcing them to implement better policies to protect other children in the future.
In Florida, the compensation available in a civil lawsuit is divided into three main categories.
Economic Damages
This is compensation for the direct, out-of-pocket costs your family has incurred because of the abuse.
Examples include:
- The cost of therapy and psychological counseling for the survivor and family members.
- Lost wages for parents who had to take time off from work to care for their child.
- The cost of future medical care or specialized treatment plans.
Non-Economic Damages
This form of compensation addresses the invisible, yet deeply felt, harm that abuse inflicts on a person's life.
This can include payment for:
- Emotional distress and mental anguish.
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Damage to personal relationships and the ability to trust others.
Punitive Damages
In cases where an organization's behavior was particularly reckless or intentional, a Florida court may award punitive damages. These are not intended to compensate the survivor for their losses but to punish the defendant and discourage similar conduct by other organizations.
Under Florida law, punitive damages may be awarded if there is clear and convincing evidence of "intentional misconduct" or "gross negligence."
The Landscape of Youth Sports in Orlando and Central Florida
Central Florida is a national hub for youth athletics. Thousands of children participate in everything from local soccer and football leagues in Orange and Seminole counties to elite national cheerleading competitions at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. With this high level of participation comes an immense responsibility for every league, team, and coach to create a safe environment.
Where Do Systemic Failures Occur?
Abuse is not just the act of a single predator; it is almost always enabled by an organization's failure to protect the children in its care. These failures frequently arise from:
- Inadequate Background Checks: Organizations fail to properly screen coaches, volunteers, and staff. They may run a basic check that misses red flags or neglect to check references and past employers who might have known about inappropriate conduct.
- Lack of Meaningful Training and Supervision: Many organizations have safety policies on paper but fail to enforce them. Rules like "two-deep leadership" (requiring at least two adults to be present with a minor) are ignored, and volunteers receive little to no training on spotting predatory behavior.
- Ignoring Red Flags: A coach exhibiting grooming behaviors or being the subject of parent complaints is often given the benefit of the doubt. Organizations may choose to ignore warnings rather than confront a popular coach or disrupt a winning season.
- Risks During Team Travel: Tournaments and out-of-town competitions are high-risk situations. Normal supervision becomes lax, and predators exploit the unstructured environment to isolate children in hotel rooms or away from the group.
Recognizing the Pattern: How Grooming Happens in Youth Sports
Grooming is the calculated process an abuser uses to build trust and break down a child's boundaries to prepare them for abuse. It is subtle and manipulative, which is why parents and other adults so often miss the warning signs. In the context of youth sports, it follows a predictable pattern.
- Targeting and Gaining Trust: The predator first identifies a child who may be more vulnerable—perhaps someone seeking extra validation, struggling with confidence, or from an unstable home situation. They then work to become indispensable to both the child and their parents, offering things like free private lessons, rides home from practice, or special mentorship.
- Isolation: The next step is to create opportunities to be alone with the child. This is often disguised as special treatment, like "extra practice" sessions, individual coaching, or invitations to events outside of normal team activities. The abuser may also try to create friction between the child and their parents or friends to become the sole trusted confidant.
- Breaking Down Boundaries: The predator starts to test and blur personal boundaries. This could begin with overly familiar physical contact disguised as coaching, sharing inappropriate personal information, or sending frequent texts and social media messages. They might also give gifts or favors to create a sense of obligation.
- Securing Secrecy: The final stage involves normalizing the inappropriate relationship and ensuring the child will not tell anyone. The abuser might frame their interactions as a "special secret" between them or use emotional manipulation, telling the child that no one would believe them or that they would get in trouble.
How Can a Sports Organization Be Held Legally Responsible?
Here are the primary legal principles we use to hold organizations accountable for these failures:
Key Legal Tools in Institutional Abuse Cases
- Negligent Hiring and Retention: This argument applies when a sports league hired or kept a coach or volunteer they knew, or should have known, had a history of inappropriate conduct. An organization has a duty to perform reasonable background checks and take complaints seriously. When they don't, they can be held responsible for the harm that results.
- Negligent Supervision: An organization is legally responsible for implementing and enforcing reasonable safety policies to protect the children in its care. If a league has no policies on one-on-one interactions, fails to train staff on spotting abuse, or doesn’t properly oversee its coaches, it has failed in its duty of supervision.
- Vicarious Liability: This is a legal concept holding that an employer is sometimes responsible for the wrongful acts of its employees if those acts are connected to their employment. It acknowledges that organizations put people in positions of authority, and with that authority comes a responsibility for how it's used.
What About the Statute of Limitations in Florida?
The statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. In Florida, the time limits for child sexual abuse cases can be difficult to sort out on your own. For a survivor who was abused under the age of 16, Florida law has removed the statute of limitations for civil claims, meaning a lawsuit can be filed at any time. For abuse that occurred when the survivor was between 16 and 18, the deadline is generally before the survivor's 25th birthday.
There are also exceptions based on when the connection between the abuse and later-in-life harm is discovered. Because of these variables, it’s always best to consult with a lawyer to determine the eligibility of your case.
What to Expect When You Pursue a Claim
After an allegation of abuse is reported, the organization and its insurance company will launch their own investigation. Remember, their primary goal is to protect their financial interests, not to support your family.
Common Tactics Used by Insurers and Defense Teams:
- Requests for Recorded Statements: An investigator will likely ask you or your child for a formal, recorded statement. You are not obligated to provide one. Anything said can be used out of context to argue against your case down the road. It is best to let your legal team handle all communications.
- Premature Settlement Offers: The organization might extend a quick, low settlement offer before the full extent of the emotional and psychological damage is understood. Accepting this initial offer permanently closes the door on seeking any further compensation.
- Attempts to Shift Blame: The defense will look for any opportunity to argue that the organization did everything right or that someone else is to blame. Our job is to build a powerful case demonstrating how their negligence created an unsafe environment.
Protecting Your Family's Rights While You Heal
While your legal team builds the case, there are several things you can do from home to protect your family's rights.
Preserving Evidence and Your Privacy
- Document Everything: Write down everything you remember about the incidents, any warning signs you noticed, and any conversations you had with team officials before, during, or after the abuse was discovered. It is also helpful to keep notes on how the trauma is affecting the survivor's daily life, from school performance to sleep patterns.
- Gather All Related Documents: Collect any emails, text messages, team rosters, competition schedules, or parent handbooks related to the sports program.
- Stay Off Social Media: Anything posted online about the case can be twisted and used against you by the opposing side. The safest approach is to refrain from posting about the situation entirely.
- Continue with Professional Treatment: Make sure the survivor attends all recommended therapy and counseling sessions. This not only supports their recovery but also creates an official record of the harm they have suffered.
FAQ for Orlando Youth Sports Sexual Abuse Claims
We signed a liability waiver. Does that prevent us from filing a lawsuit?
Generally, no. In Florida, a liability waiver cannot protect an organization from accountability for its own gross negligence or for failing to protect a child from foreseeable harm like sexual abuse. Courts typically will not enforce waivers that attempt to excuse reckless or intentional misconduct.
The abuser was a volunteer, not a paid coach. Can the organization still be held responsible?
Yes. An organization's duty to protect children extends to anyone it places in a position of authority, whether they are a paid employee or an unpaid volunteer. The league is responsible for properly screening, training, and supervising every adult who has access to children.
What if my child is still on the team and we're worried about retaliation?
Retaliating against a child or their family for reporting abuse is illegal and can be grounds for further legal action. We can discuss specific strategies to handle this situation and protect your child from any form of backlash.
What is the difference between a civil case and a criminal case?
A criminal case is brought by the state (through a prosecutor) to punish the abuser with penalties like jail time or sex offender registration. A civil case is filed by the survivor (through their attorney) against the abuser and/or the negligent organization to obtain financial compensation for the harm caused. The two cases proceed independently, and you can win a civil lawsuit even if no criminal charges were ever filed or if the abuser was found not guilty in criminal court.
Will my family's identity become public if we file a lawsuit?
Not necessarily. Courts understand the need for privacy in these sensitive cases. We can file the lawsuit using a pseudonym, such as "Jane Doe" or "John Doe," to protect your child's identity in public records. Furthermore, the vast majority of these cases are resolved through confidential settlement agreements, meaning the details are never aired in a public trial.
Your Child Deserved to Be Safe
When you signed your child up for that team, you did everything a parent is supposed to do. You trusted the adults in charge to protect them. That trust was broken—first by the abuser, then by the organization that failed to act.
No family should have to fight for answers alone. At Horowitz Law, we hold institutions accountable for the harm they allowed.
If you’re ready to understand your legal options and start protecting your child’s future, call our Orlando sexual abuse lawyers at (954) 641-2100 for a confidential, no-cost consultation.