Notre Dame’s Office of General Counsel has retained Ropes & Gray to examine “Cultural Issues” that have been identified within its men’s swimming & diving program. That news was confirmed director of athletics Pete Bevacqua, who sent an email to university staffers earlier this month informing them of the Office of General Counsel’s decision to…
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At the age of 18, Jill Lawler joined Bikram’s Yoga Training Seminar and set out on her life’s dream of becoming a Bikram Yoga instructor. That dream turned into a nightmare when she was allegedly groomed in cultish environment. Specifically, Lawler was sexually assaulted and raped by a then 66-year-old Bikram Choudhury, who “took every…
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During its seventh year of operation, the U.S. Center of Safesport announced recently that it has: Fielded more than 7,500 reports of abuse and misconduct. Initiated significant process improvements throughout the organization to improve efficiency, trauma sensitivity, and communication Delivered essential abuse prevention education to athletes, coaches, and parents throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and beyond Audited…
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Two sexual abuse lawsuits against the San Francisco Unified School District have settled, according to the San Jose law firm that represented the plaintiffs. The SFUSD board of trustees approved the settlement amount of $4.5 million after the SFUSD insurance carriers and the plaintiffs agreed to the settlement amount. The plaintiffs sued SFUSD in 2022…
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(Editor’s note: The following is one of five case summaries in the latest Sports Litigation Alert. Subscribers have access to more than 5,000 case summaries and sports law articles. To subscribe, visit here.) A federal judge from the Western District of Washington has granted an insurance company’s motion for summary judgement in a case in…
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Backed by dozens of documents from the US Tennis Association (USTA) “showing a callous disregard for the safety of athletes,” leading sexual abuse advocates are calling for Congressional intervention and an investigation into USTA leadership. Nancy Hogshead, Olympic champion, civil rights lawyer, and CEO of Champion Women, a nonprofit providing legal advocacy for girls and…
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Michigan State University Head Football Mel Tucker has released a statement through his attorney, defending himself against allegations he sexually harassed anti-rape, anti-sexual harassment educator Brenda Tracy, who was on campus investigating MSU’s culture. Tucker’s statement, released by his attorney Jennifer Belveal, follows: “Brenda Tracy’s allegations of harassment are completely false. The proceedings initiated by…
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(Editor’s note: The following was shared early this morning.) We’re being sued for $250 million by a coach banned by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for sexually abusing his underage athletes. Why us? We weren’t quiet; we told the volleyball community about his bans. Now we need a legal defense. We have launched a GoFundMe to pay…
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Beneficiaries of the Alert include both the private sector and higher education, where professors use the Alert with thousands of sports law students. As Hackney Publications closes in on the completion of its 18th year of publishing Sports Litigation Alert, publisher Holt Hackney is especially proud of the last two issues. “We’re touching on every…
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Several dozen of the most influential organizations in the sport and nonprofit sectors have officially endorsed the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, drafted by the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program to create a shared cultural understanding about the right of all youth to play and to develop through sports. Written with the aid…
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