Survivors' Rights

With 760,000 athletes and coaches nationwide, the AAU hosts competitions in dozens of sports across the country, often with as many as 100,000 child athletes at a time.

Lieff Cabraser is investigating allegations of widespread child abuse in the Amateur Athletic Union in the wake of an explosive investigative report by Pro Publica and the Washington Post. The AAU describes itself as “[o]ne of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, multi-sport event organizations in the world … dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.” However, that mission is now tarred by new claims of child sexual abuse that come in the wake of a 2011 sex abuse scandal at AAU that involved its CEO and young basketball players.

According to Pro Publica, “AAU leaders at the time said they would build a ‘new culture in which the overarching priority’ was protecting young athletes, committing the organization to sweeping safety reforms. But they did not implement the majority of those reforms, ProPublica and The Post found, putting many children at risk. Some AAU athletes have had devastating experiences.”

Though the AAU publicly claims to offer child abuse prevention training, the Post indicated it does not actually offer such training. While calling the course “mandatory” on its webpage, the organization does not verify whether coaches take that training. And as the reports highlight, the AAU has become a “haven” for coaches suspected of abuse. [The article notes that after inquiries from the Post last year, the AAU changed its website to say the training was “encouraged.”]

In fact, as the report continues, “Instead of protecting children, the AAU has prioritized building an ever-bigger footprint across youth sports through cheap and easy team registrations, allowing it to dramatically grow its revenue in recent years.”

Lieff Cabraser represents survivors across the U.S. who have been victimized by sexual violence and sexual abuse. We treat every client with care, respect, and compassion as we bring our comprehensive legal skills forward on each case. We have a dedicated team of lawyers, nurse consultants, and paralegals experienced in working with and listening to survivors who work individually with every client in every case to see that justice is won.

If you or a family member have been a victim of child sexual abuse in sports programs under the Amateur Athletic Union, please call firm partner Avery Halfon toll-free today at 1 800 541-7358 or use the form on this page to send us a confidential email message. There is no charge or obligation for your outreach, and all information you provide will be held in the strictest confidence.