Basketball Coach Sexual Assault Attorney
In the past decade or so, you may have noticed an increasing number of athletes coming out with stories of sexual abuse within sports league and organizations. Thanks to social media, these victims have a platform to share their experience and find support from others who were also abused. In addition, there has been a greater awareness of how pervasive these incidents are and what you can do if you are a victim of sexual assault or exploitation.
Children are especially vulnerable to sexual grooming and manipulation by someone of authority, like a basketball coach. Sports coaches can have a positive impact on a child’s life as a teacher and mentor. On the other hand, a young athlete can end up with guilt, shame, self-hatred and other issues resulting from sexual assault by a basketball coach.
Are you struggling with the effects of sexual abuse by a basketball coach that worked at your school? Were you molested or sexually groomed by a coach or coaching assistant at a basketball event, training camp, or sports academy? As sexual abuse lawyers with decades of experience in these cases, we know how these incidents can compromise your ability to live a happy and meaningful life. The basketball coach sexual abuse lawyers of Kenmore are here to advise you of your rights and help you decide on the best way to move forward. Reach out to us today and schedule a free, confidential case review.
How Coaches Sexually Manipulate Underage Athletes
While it’s not always the case, most incidents of coach sexual abuse start with grooming. This is a process where the adult establishes an emotional bond with their victim, which is easy enough to do when you are coaching them for a sport. It’s common practice for teachers and instructors to communicate with their students via text, chat apps, and email, and this is often where the grooming process begins.
Normally, the coach will test out the waters by throwing in compliments, like praising the athlete’s abilities at practice or a game. Soon enough, they start making comments about the athlete’s body or saying other things that are inappropriate between adults and minors. Eventually, the coach has such a hold on the child that they are able to coerce them into a sexual relationship. Considering the amount of time that a coach spends with their team, there are many opportunities for sexual touching, intercourse, and other acts before and after practice, on trips to games away from home, and other events.
Even if the child knows that what they’re doing is wrong, they face the prospect of ruining a very special relationship in their lives if they say no or tell on the coach. Or, the coach has promised to introduce them to people and opportunities that can help them with scholarships or a career in basketball. This level of influence is difficult to overcome, which is why minors typically keep the abuse to themselves instead of telling their parents or another adult that they trust.
The Impact of Sexual Abuse by a Basketball Coach
There is no denying that child sexual assault and abuse has a devastating impact on the victim’s psychological state. This is particularly true when the person that abused them is a coach that they respect and admire. But getting to the point of understanding what happened and being able to talk about it is a very difficult process. That’s why the vast majority of clients we represent are adults who have lived with the pain and trauma of sexual abuse for many years.
Our clients struggle with various mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression, anger issues, commitment phobias, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. A lot of them are angry because their coach took away their love for basketball, along with other opportunities that could have helped them advance in the sport. They also develop a distrust of authority figures, which makes it hard for them to do well at school or keep a job.
At the end of the day, you are robbed of many things when a coach sexually violates you. Our job is to go after the entities that failed to protect you from sexual abuse and secure the funds that you deserve by law. We hope you will give us the chance to educate you on your legal options during a free case review.
Who is Liable for Sexual Abuse by a Sports Coach?
Who you can sue in a lawsuit for coach sexual abuse depends on many factors, including the duty of care that is owed to the minor by certain individuals and organizations. If, for example, you were molested by your school basketball coach, you may have the right to sue the school district. In order to hold them accountable, you will need to show that they were negligent in their duty to investigate, report, and/or protect a student who is being abused by a district staff member. This is very common at schools, where administrators ignore red flags of inappropriate behavior by teachers and coaches. They also ignore accusations of sexual misconduct by students or fail to investigate the allegations.
As a youth basketball player, you probably attended training camps or private academies, and these institutions must also investigate suspicions or allegations of child sexual abuse, along with contacting the police or child protective services. The same can be said for governing organizations like USA Basketball and the National Council of Youth Sports. Unfortunately, we have uncovered case after case of negligent conduct by these officials, which is why the number of youth sports organizations lawsuits is on the rise.
Basketball Coach Sexual Abuse Case
Settlements for the abuse of a minor are generally in the 6 to 7 figure range, though claims involving sexual assault are likely to settle for $1,000,000 and above. Here at Kenmore, we find that lawsuits for sexual assault by a sports coach are worth $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 on average. Cases of long-term abuse (1 or more years) that involve many incidents and extreme psychological and physical harm to the victim may reach the $10,000,000 mark, but this is quite rare. If you are a victim of sexual harassment and exploitation rather than assault, the value of your case may be around $400,000 to $750,000. But this is not an absolute rule, as the amount of compensation from a lawsuit is based on many factors that we can discuss with you during a private consultation.
Our team of sexual assault lawyers is here for you 24/7, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions on how much you can receive from a basketball coach sexual assault lawsuit.
Statute of Limitations – How Long Do I have for a Lawsuit?
As a victim of sexual abuse before you were an adult, you are allowed 22 years to file a lawsuit for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other monetary damages. The statute of limitations does not begin until you are 18, so that means you can file a claim for child sexual abuse up until your 40th birthday.
Some people may qualify for a sports sexual abuse lawsuit even if they are older than 40. California law on sexual abuse of minors includes a discovery rule, which is based on when the victim realizes the harm they suffered. A common example has to do with student athletes who are afraid to get their coach in trouble by telling someone. Or, they are scared that the special friendship they have with their basketball coach will be taken away if they don’t stay quiet about the abuse. This will cause the victim to repress their feelings and memories of what happened, but doing so will not take the shame, guilt, and other negative emotions.
Over time, the trauma resulting from sexual abuse will cause the athlete to have mental health issues that compromise their quality of life. For some of these individuals, figuring out just how badly the abuse has impacted their lives can take 20 or more years. No matter how old they are at the moment of discovery, they have a window of 5 years to file a child sexual abuse lawsuit.
A youth sports sex abuse attorney is here to help if you need information on how much time you have for a basketball coach sexual assault lawsuit.
Contact Kenmore Law Group
No matter how many years have passed since you were sexually abused, it’s impossible to erase the painful memories from your mind. We are not suggesting that money from a lawsuit is the key to resolving these issues. Rather, it’s a step forward in the right direction, as you are taking direct action against the people that caused you harm and suffering.
As part of your journey to recovery, we would like to offer our services at no upfront cost. We are a contingency based law firm with a Zero Fee Guarantee, meaning you will never pay out of pocket to hire one of our attorneys. We only get paid by recovering your settlement, so if you don’t get paid at the end of your lawsuit, neither do we.
A basketball coach sexual assault lawyer is available to meet with you for a free consultation, so please take a moment to contact us.
