The United States Tennis Association allowed a California tennis coach to remain part of its organization for years despite repeated sexual abuse complaints and red flags, according a New York Times report. In August, a judge sentenced the coach, Normandie Burgos, to 255 years in prison for abusing two of his former students, beginning when the boys were in their early teens.

Burgos was first arrested for inappropriately touching students in 2006, while working as a teacher and coach at Tamalpais High School in California’s affluent Marin County. Jurors in that case failed to reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. Burgos lost his job, but a group of supportive parents and players swarmed the hearings and raised money for Burgos’s defense. 

He was able to foster another group of players and parents when he created the Burgos Tennis Foundation, a training program that provided lessons and coaching for “half the price of private clubs,” according to the Times. Burgos marketed that he was “certified as a trainer at the highest levels” by the United States Professional Tennis Association, which also gave Burgos travel grants so his teams could represent Northern California at tournaments across the country.

According to the Times, Burgos falsely claimed that his organization was a non-profit receiving funding from the United States Tennis Association to help train under-privileged youth. His victims have claimed that Burgos took advantage of their economic hardships in order to coerce them into performing sex acts. 

In 2014, Burgos faced a second abuse complaint when a player reported that Burgos had been abusing him for two years. Burgos convinced the boy, who was raised by a single mother living in subsidized housing, to switch schools in order to have more time for one-on-one practice. When the boy would refuse to give in to Burgos’s demands for sex, Burgos threatened to withhold sports equipment and to derail the player’s college recruitment efforts, the Times reported.

Because the young man could not provide corroborating evidence, both  the police and the United States Tennis Association dropped the case. Burgos went on to abuse another boy for two years.

Responsibilities of the United States Tennis Association 

There is no indication that the United States Tennis Association ever disciplined Burgos, according to the Times. In fact, the organization supported Burgos even after his first arrest. Parents and school officials have since complained that they should have been made aware of the complaints against the man who was teaching their children.

One mother said she had no idea her child could have been at risk. She claims that the United States Tennis Association “dropped the ball, because they made it appear like this was a safe place for the kids to go.

“Shouldn’t there have been more oversight from the U.S.T.A. about him interacting with children?”

The website InsidetheGame.biz reported that the player whose complaint was dropped due to a lack of evidence filed a lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association in January. The most recent victim is expected to join the suit. The young men claim that the United States Tennis Association was aware of Burgos’s record of abuse, but did nothing.

Between the time he reported Burgos to authorities and when he was scheduled to testify in Burgos’s criminal trial, the victim whose complaint resulted in Burgos’ conviction was nominated by the United States Tennis Association for a national sportsmanship award. After the guilty verdict, the player received his award at a ceremony held by the United States Tennis Association in New York during the U.S. Open. It was at the ceremony that the victim and his family fully realized the magnitude of the organization.

“I am literally being given an award by the U.S.T.A. in the middle of this room of 500 people in suits,” the player said. “I had to shake hands with so many different people that did absolutely nothing throughout the entire time when I was being abused.”

United States Tennis Association’s History of Addressing Abuse

In 2014, a meeting was held between the head of the United States Olympic Committee and directors of sports’ governing bodies. One of the subjects discussed was a new initiative meant to protect U.S. athletes from abusers. During the meeting, the head of the Olympic Committee noted that the only organization opposed to the initiative was the United States Tennis Association.

Gordon Smith, U.S.T.A.’s then executive director and chief operating officer, said the organization was capable of policing itself. He claimed that the U.S.T.A. ought to be able to opt out of the program setting up a centralized entity to oversee abuse cases. Just months earlier, Burgos was arrested for the second time following abuse complaints. He went on to abuse at least one more player while a part of the U.S.T.A. and was allowed to keep coaching for three more years.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.