More and more survivors are coming forward with allegations of childhood sexual assault and abuse committed in a variety of youth organizations.

Although long heralded for providing a safe haven for children, the YMCA has faced accusations nationwide that there are child molesters within the organization who coached and tutored youngsters, providing them an opportunity to groom and prey upon the children in their care.

What Is the YMCA?

The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association, commonly called the Y) was founded in London in 1844 by George Williams, a 22-year-old department store employee who had previously worked on farms. He and a group of friends organized the YMCA to provide a safe haven for young men who had rough lives on the streets.

Today, the YMCA can be found in more than 10,000 communities across the United States. According to the YMCA’s website, “By empowering young people to reach their full potential, improving individual and community well-being and giving back and inspiring action in our communities, the Y ensures that everyone has the opportunity to become healthier, more confident, connected and secure.”

Most YMCA locations provide sports and recreation, summer camps, before and after school programs, health club memberships, water safety classes, and other educational and social opportunities. The nonprofit organization says that some 600,000 volunteers help run its programs.

These programs have been hugely beneficial to countless children, but other children may have been targets within the program for sexual abuse.

Where Can Sexual Abuse at the YMCA Occur?

Anywhere that supervision is lax or non-existent may become a place young people are vulnerable to sexual abuse.

People in positions of authority are often granted a high level of respect and trust, both by adult guardians and the children themselves. But some take advantage of these positions of authority. In some cases, coaches have been accused of sexually abusing youngsters on their teams. Children typically see a coach as a role model and when such trust is betrayed, the child can suffer lifelong trauma and trust issues.

It’s not just adults that can be a problem. Older children have victimized younger children in YMCA child care settings. A South Carolina YMCA sex abuse lawsuit states that a 7-year-old girl abused a 5-year-old girl while both attended the Y’s after-school program. The children had been under a blanket playing a game, and instead of being watched by any of the five staff members, two teenagers were left to supervise 50 children the day the alleged assault occurred.

Oftentimes, youth organizations are trusted community spaces that offer after-school activities and tutoring services. But even the most trusted organizations must be kept under a watchful eye, with strict policies and oversight. Child sex abuse advocates say that it’s essential for adults to take children’s concerns seriously. A study by the Australian Childhood Foundation found that one in three adults “would not believe a child if they disclosed sexual abuse.” This places children at serious risk. They may lose trust in their parents and other adults, remain in the sphere of their abuser, and may not have access to the help they need.

How Should the YCMA Respond to Sexual Abuse Allegations?

The YMCA “encourages appropriate physical contact with youth and prohibits inappropriate displays of physical contact.” Disciplinary action, up to and including terminating the offender’s employment, will be taken if a staff member inappropriately touches a child in a YMCA program.

Each YMCA chapter adheres to its own policies regarding sexual abuse.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, for example, must follow the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act. A staff member must report suspected abuse to the program director, who must notify California’s Department of Social Services within 36 hours.

While an investigation is underway, the alleged perpetrator, no matter their role with the organization, must be suspended.

If the abuse allegations involve children, the parents must be informed as dictated by the rules of the agency overseeing the investigation.

Each employee at the Metropolitan Los Angeles location is required to read and sign the YMCA’s sexual abuse policy.

Previous Cases of Sexual Abuse at the YMCA

In April 2019, 19-year-old former YMCA worker Michael Begin received a 120-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to 20 counts of felony child molestation, per News and Tribune. He was originally charged with 27 felonies, but the case was resolved with a plea agreement. Begin molested children when he was a teacher’s aide at the YMCA in Jeffersonville, Ind.

Begin groped children between the ages of 3 and 8 during the time he worked as a teacher’s aide at an after-school program jointly run by Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and the Jeffersonville YMCA.

He was also the subject of a lawsuit filed by the parents of a first-grader who Begin allegedly sexually abused at the elementary school. Greater Clark Schools Corp. faces allegations that it failed to protect the girl.

A complaint filed in February 2018 claims Begin was allowed to continue working with children for nearly two months after detectives began looking into an accusation that Begin molested a child. The parents who filed the lawsuit alleged that the YMCA didn’t protect their daughter because Begin’s movements and activities were not overseen by staff, reports the Courier Journal.

Even after the Y became aware that police were investigating Begin on child molestation allegations, his employment with the Jeffersonville YMCA was not terminated. According to the complaint, Begin reportedly first molested the child at the YMCA on Aug. 7, 2018, and the Jeffersonville YMCA learned about the investigation on or about Aug. 22. Begin, the lawsuit states, continued to abuse the youngster during the investigation, through Oct. 18., according to the Courier Journal.

The other lawsuit filed against the YMCA and Greater Clark schools accuses the organizations of failing to protect a 6-year-old girl from the convicted predator. Begin was found to have sexually abused the child, who attended an after-school program run by both the YMCA and Greater Clark schools.

In 2019, another YMCA sexual abuse case was reported in Oshkosh, Wisc.

A 76-year-old former Oshkosh YMCA employee received a one-year jail sentence followed by 12 years of probation after being charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child. B.T. Adams had played Santa Claus for several years and also worked in the YMCA’s children drop-off area, according to Northwestern.com.

Police told Northwestern.com that Adams had once worked in the YMCA cafeteria, but in 2013 he requested a transfer to child care drop-off monitoring duty.

Video evidence purportedly showed Adams sexually assaulting a young girl. Adams’ supervisors discovered the videotaped evidence and turned it over to the police.

Ex-YMCA Counselor and Disney Cast Member Faces Sex Abuse Lawsuit

In February, seven men filed a lawsuit against a North Carolina YMCA and a former counselor, 48-year-old Michael Todd Pegram, alleging that Pegram sexually abused the plaintiffs when they were boys attending the organization’s youth programs.

The Raleigh News and Observer reported that Pegram was a counselor at the Kernersville (N.C.) Family YMCA in the 1990s and early 2000s when he sexually abused seven boys, two of whom were brothers. At that time, the boys ranged in age from 10 to 14.

According to court documents, Pegram chose favorite boys in the YMCA program and called them “Todd’s Thunderbirds.”

Pegram owned a DJ business and would allow the chosen boys to work for him. He reportedly hosted sleepovers, campouts, and beach excursions. The YMCA trusted Pegram to the point that he had after-hours access to YMCA facilities and vans.

Pegram was arrested in 2017 near Walt Disney World, where he had been working as a cast member. It’s unknown when he moved to Florida.

The plaintiffs say they are all in therapy now, and several struggle with a number of serious, long-lasting effects of the abuse, including addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, depression, trust issues, and suicidal thoughts. The court documents also indicate that one mother committed suicide after learning of the abuse her son suffered, reports the News and Observer.

The complaint says parents of some of the boys complained back then to YMCA administrators and employees about Pegram’s inappropriate behavior, but no action was taken.

Pegram pleaded guilty to a first-degree sex offense and indecent liberties with a child and is now housed at Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville, N.C., where he is serving a 30-year sentence.

The seven plaintiffs are seeking damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.

Finding an Attorney for YCMA Sexual Abuse

A growing number of childhood abuse survivors have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse. Some survivors claim that organizations failed to recognize abuse, ignored it, or actively covered it up.

Several states have recently made changes to their childhood sexual abuse laws, allowing survivors more time to come forward with their allegations against not just their abusers, but the organizations that may have allowed the abuse to occur.

If your child has been a victim of YMCA sexual abuse committed by a volunteer, employee, or YMCA member, you may benefit from speaking with an attorney. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering or trauma caused by child sexual abuse, but it can at least help to provide monetary compensation, as well as help hold those responsible accountable for their actions and inactions alike.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially over something as serious as child sex abuse, but Top Class Actions can help by connecting you with an experienced attorney who specializes in such cases and can help determine if a class action lawsuit or an individual lawsuit would be appropriate. Consulting an attorney can help you navigate the complexities of litigation and maximize your potential compensation.

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