Yet another swimmer has come forward alleging disgraced coach Andy King sexually abused her after he was first exposed as a pedophile.

The allegations are contained in a new lawsuit filed by the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard that says King used his position of authority “to manipulate and sexually assault over a dozen female swimmers over a 30-year period,” including “A.H.”

A.H. is the anonymous plaintiff in the new case that was filed in Alameda County Superior Court (case #HG21112559).

In addition to USA Swimming, affiliates Pacific Swimming and San Ramon Valley Aquatics are defendants in the lawsuit.

“They all looked the other way, placing their profits and reputations above the safety of young, vulnerable female athletes like A.H.,” attorney Robert Allard said.

Like other young girls coached by King, A.H. dreamed of becoming an Olympic swimmer when she joined San Ramon Valley Aquatics in the late 1970s.

By the early 1980s, when A.H. was around 12 years old, King began grooming her to accept his sexual advances.

“He’d make sexually inappropriate comments to her and have her sit on his lap during swim practice,” Mr. Allard said. “He gave her gifts and paid special attention to her, even telling her how mature she was and talking about the possibility of a future together.”

A.H. was 14 years old when King stole her innocence in March of 1985.

“We know that in the summer of 1984 people in the Bay Area swimming community were talking about King’s sexual abuse of swimmer Debra Grodensky. In fact, the talk was so widespread that Debra’s competitors even asked her about it but nobody did anything about it.”

Ms. Grodensky is a client of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard. She, too, is suing USA Swimming, along with swimmers Caren McKay and Katie Kelly, alleging King sexually abused them. Their case is set for trial in May of 2022.

King’s contract with San Ramon Valley Aquatics was not renewed in mid-1985 partly due to the Grodensky sexual misconduct. So, King formed Chabot Aquatics in Hayward and continued to sexually assault young girls.

King’s reign of terror finally stopped in 2009, when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old San Jose Aquatics swimmer. He is now serving 40 years in state prison after pleading no contest to the criminal charges brought by the San Jose girl and three East Bay swimmers.

“USA Swimming has fostered a sexual abuse culture,” Mr. Allard said. “In 1991, a USA Swimming committee acknowledged the sexual abuse problem and recommended that steps be taken to protect young athletes. But it wasn’t until 2006 that even basic measures like criminal background checks were implemented. As a result, my clients are still suffering decades later.”

In 2018, the Orange County Register reported that at least 590 athletes were USA Swimming sexual abuse victims and at least 252 swim coaches and officials had been disciplined or banned for sexual abuse or misconduct against athletes under the age of 18.

“As long as USA Swimming fails to take care of these sexually abused athletes, we will continue to fight for victims and file lawsuits to ensure that these athletes are compensated for the lifelong harm caused by the organization,” Mr. Allard said.

A new lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court alleges that former Piedmont Hills High School track coach Chioke Robinson repeatedly sexually abused a young female student both on and off school grounds.

The civil suit was filed on behalf of “Jane Doe,” who chooses to remain anonymous, by San Jose-based Cerri, Boskovich & Allard.

Jane ran track at Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose, which is part of the East Side Union High School District. She says her track coach, Chioke Robinson, began sexually grooming her in 2009, when she was a 15-year-old sophomore, by hugging her, spending time alone with her during the off-season, buying her lunch and driving her places.

Robinson also bought Jane things like track shoes and tights.

“These are all red flags that we know predators use to lure their victims,” attorney Robert Allard said. “Tragically, that’s what happened here – Robinson used his position as a trusted coach and authority figure to lure my client into illegal sex acts during her junior year. He’s a sexual predator who needs to be kept away from young women and girls.”

Robinson’s inappropriate behavior was reported to school officials sometime around 2012 by a mother who had heard the coach was “involved in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe,” the lawsuit says.

“The school district did nothing, they just ignored the mother’s report,” Mr. Allard said. “They neglected their duty to protect students and instead allowed Robinson to continue coaching young girls. The school district also failed to report his behavior to the San Jose Police Department, as required by law.”

Robinson was arrested in February 2019 by the San Jose Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and charged with sexually assaulting four girls between the ages of 12 and 17.

He was bound over for trial in July, after Jane Doe and other victims testified at Robinson’s preliminary hearing.

Mr. Allard and his team also represent a Robinson victim from Los Gatos High School who was allegedly abused in the late 1990s.

“We know it’s highly likely that Robinson sexually abused other young women who are afraid to come forward,” Mr. Allard said. “But it’s important they do because he must be stopped. Years later, my clients continue to suffer from the abuse that could have so easily been prevented.”

Anyone with information regarding Robinson is urged to contact Cerri, Boskovich & Allard at 408-289-1417 or visit cmalaw.net.

“This is why we represent child sex abuse victims,” said Attorney Robert Allard. “The money will provide the young victim with the means to survive the lifelong effects of childhood sexual abuse while at the same time forcing youth sports organizations to protect kids better,” added Allard.

In May of 2011, West Valley Youth Soccer League coach Emanuele Fabrizio sexually abused a 12-year-old player. After pleading no contest to the sexual abuse charges, Fabrizio is serving 15 years in prison.

During that time period, US Youth Soccer Organization (USYSA) and its affiliate California Youth Soccer Association North (Cal North), did not conduct or require criminal background checks on their coaches. Instead, they had a self-reporting policy. Had they conducted a background check on Fabrizio, they would have discovered a prior domestic violence charge. According to their policy, that would have prevented Fabrizio from coaching.

The legal team included Kelly Raftery, Andrew Piunti and Lauren Cerri of San Jose along with Stephen Estey of San Diego.

Background Checks for Coaches

Raftery is credited with creating case law that establishes a minimum level of protection for kids. This sex abuse case went before the California Sixth District Court of Appeal. The court said that it was foreseeable that a coach would sexually abuse a player. As a result, USYSA had a duty to require and conduct background checks.

Background checks are provided free of charge to non-profit organizations under state law.

Coaching sexual abuse continues to be a significant problem in this country. Whether it is youth soccer organizations or the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and its lack of oversight of the national governing bodies that are responsible for selecting our Olympic team, only litigation seems to have an effect on how serious they go about protecting athletes from coaching sexual abuse.

If you are an adult survivor of coaching sexual abuse or the loved one of a young child sexually abused by their coach, call our law firm at 408-289-1417. Our dedicated team of attorneys and investigators specialize in childhood sexual abuse cases. This commitment to justice for sex abuse victims sets us apart from other law firms. The consultation and case evaluation are free by calling Cerri, Boskovich & Allard at 408-289-1417.