Safe Sport added to lawsuit alleging USOC cover up of sexual abuse of taekwondo athletes by Lopez brothers
Organizations accused of sex trafficking and forced labor by former Team USA athletes
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Steven Lopez, an Olympic gold medalist in Tae Kwon Do is introduced as honorary captain before an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/George Bridges)
By SCOTT M. REID |
sreid@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2018 at 4:40 pm | UPDATED: August 24, 2018 at 4:55 pm
The U.S. Center for Safe Sport has been added to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver Friday that alleges gross negligence and trafficking by Safe Sport and the U.S. Olympic Committee for failing to protect female taekwondo athletes from sexual abuse by Olympic gold medalist Steven Lopez and his brother Jean, a longtime U.S. national team coach.
Kay Poe, a 2000 Olympian, on Friday joined other former and current Team USA athletes in a lawsuit that charges that the USOC, Safe Sport and USA Taekwondo, the sport’s national governing body, engaged in forced labor, sex trafficking and racketeering under federal RICO statutes by secretly obstructing investigations in allegations of sexual abuse by the Lopez brothers.
Specifically the lawsuit alleges that investigations into sexual abuse allegations against the Lopez brothers were suspended to allow the brothers to coach and compete in the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 U.S. Championships.
The suit also alleges that Safe Sport’s claims of being independent are false and that the center is compromised by conflicts of interest. The center, which opened in March 2017, was created by and is financed by the USOC.
“This case will conclusively demonstrate that Safe Sport is a sham,” said Robert Allard, an attorney for Poe. “We have seen case after case highlighted by the recent decision to reinstate alleged serial predator JeanLopez where SafeSport bends over backward to protect pedophile coaches and, as a consequence, the financial interests of the USOC and its (national governing bodies).”
Friday’s amended complaint comes a week after Safe Sport removed Jean Lopez from its list of permanently ineligible individuals and given “interim restriction” status. It is unclear why Safe Sport made the change or what the conditions of the restriction are.
Jean Lopez was originally banned by Safe Sport in April for sexual misconduct and sexual misconduct involving a minor. Steven Lopez, a gold medalist at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, was placed on “interim suspension” on May 7 by Safe Sport for “allegations of misconduct.”
The Lopez brothers have denied any wrongdoing.
The suit, initially filed this past spring, alleges that the USOC, Safe Sport and USA Taekwondo “obstructed, attempted to obstruct, interfered, and or prevented the enforcement” of their policies by ignoring verbal and written complaints of sexual abuse, dismissing complaints of and refusing to act on reports of sexual abuse and delaying the investigation of reports of sexual abuse. The suit also alleges the organizations advised athletes to withdraw complaints of sexual abuse that they knew were truthful, offered to put athletes back on team rosters only if they withdrew truthful complaints of sexual abuse, and threatened athletes with consequences for failure to withdraw complaints.
Poe in 1996 at the age of 14 became the youngest ever member of the U.S. national taekwondo team. She alleges Jean Lopez began sexually exploiting her and engaging in sexual intercourse with her in the year leading up to the 2000 Olympics. The suit said Lopez forced Poe into sex at the 1999 World Championships in Alberta. Lopez’s abuse of Poe was known to many in the USOC and USA Taekwondo community, the suit alleges.
Mandy Meloon alleges Jean Lopez molested her while to she pretended to sleep on a trip to a 1997 World Cup event in Cairo, Egypt. Meloon was 15 at the time. Meloon began a sexual relationship with Steven Lopez in 2000, according to court documents. She alleges in the filing that Steven Lopez physically abused her in 2002 and raped her in 2004.
Heidi Gilbert alleges Jean Lopez drugged, molested and performed oral sex on her while they traveled to a 2003 World Cup event in Germany. Later, Gilbert alleges, Jean Lopez told her he wanted to leave his wife and have “Olympic babies” with her.
Gabriella Joslin alleges Steven Lopez sexually assaulted her during the 2006 German Open.