U.S. Figure Skating, Coach Sued over Child Sex Abuse Claims

A former competitive figure skater who says his coach sexually abused him as a child has filed a lawsuit against the man and the U.S. Figure Skating Association, among others.

The alleged victim, Craig M., filed the civil complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York on July 20. In it, he says the well-known coach, Richard Callaghan, began molesting him at the age of 14 and didn’t stop until the plaintiff was 23. He also claims U.S. Figure Skating knew of the abuse but did nothing to stop it.

The Professional Skaters Association and The Buffalo Skating Club, which owned and operated the skating rinks where Callaghan trained the plaintiff, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Lawsuit is Latest Development in Callaghan Case

July’s filing is the most recent activity in the case against Callaghan, who has coached the likes of Olympic champion Tara Lipinski, world champion Todd Eldredge and American champion Nicole Bobek.

The plaintiff first came forward with his accusations against Callaghan in 1999, when he brought them to the U.S. Figure Skating Association – the sport’s governing body – and gave an interview to The New York Times about it. The skating organization took no action though because, according to its rules at the time, allegations had to be made within 60 days to be considered.

Two other former skaters made similar accusations against Callaghan in the Times article.

Callaghan, who has denied the allegations against him, continued coaching.

In January 2018, the plaintiff made a formal complaint about Callaghan to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the organization established in 2017 to address abuse in sports on behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee. SafeSport suspended Callaghan and investigated the claims. In August 2019, it concluded the inquiry and banned Callaghan from the sport of skating for life.

Fewer than two weeks after the ban was announced, a fourth former skater accused Callaghan of molesting him and filed a lawsuit against him and the skating federation in San Diego.

Callaghan appealed the lifetime ban and in January 2020 the arbitrator hearing his case reversed SafeSport’s ruling on the basis of procedural issues. The arbitrator instead gave him a three-year suspension.

Plaintiff’s Allegations Against Callaghan, U.S. Figure Skating

The new civil action filed in New York says Callaghan began molesting the plaintiff in 1977, when the skater was 14 years old. It claims the coach groomed the boy, manipulated him, and later isolated and controlled him. Eventually, Callaghan “tempted Craig with pornography and alcohol, and gradually escalated his demands from sexual banter, to forcibly touching Craig’s genitals, to mutual masturbation, and ultimately to oral and anal sex,” the lawsuit alleges.

Callaghan’s actions were “an open secret” throughout the figure skating community, the plaintiff says. The Buffalo Skating Club eventually fired Callaghan, but took no steps to stop him and he was able to move to another club and rink, according to the lawsuit. U.S. Figure Skating and the Professional Skaters Association “were more concerned with covering up their own knowledge of and complicity in Callaghan’s abuse than holding Callaghan accountable … and protecting young figure skaters from abuse,” the lawsuit says.

Child Victims Act Made Lawsuit Possible

The lawsuit against Callaghan and the U.S. Figure Skating Association is possible because of a recently passed state law. The New York Child Victims Act, which took effect in 2019, extended the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil lawsuits against their attackers until the victim turns 55 years old. Before the law was passed, victims only had up to five years after turning 18 to file a lawsuit.

The law also created a one year “look back” period for victims of childhood sexual abuse at any time in the past, giving them a year from the date the new law took effect to file a civil complaint.

Originally, the lookback window was set to close on Aug. 14, but in May, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a five-month extension due to the coronavirus pandemic. An unsatisfied state legislature later took the extension even further, passing a measure to change the deadline to Aug. 14, 2021. The newly proposed deadline needs Gov. Cuomo’s signature though, and he hasn’t acted on it yet.

The U.S. Figure Skating Lawsuit is Case No. 1:20-cv-00922, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

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