Attorneys seeking justice for victims and survivors of coaching sexual abuse
It's no secret that athletic organizations have covered up the crimes committed against sexually abused athletes. If you are a victim or survivor of sexual abuse while participating in sports, the time has come to hold your athletic team responsible and accountable for failing to protect you.
Many sexually abused athletes live with the shame for years. But the shame does not belong with you. It belongs to your abuser and to the athletic program that enabled their behavior by looking the other way. Let us help you put the shame where it belongs, just like we have done with many sports programs.
Sexually abused athlete and survivor Stevie Gould speaks about his experience with the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard
Why Should I Come Forward Now?Stevie says suing the US Tennis Association was an ‘empowering’ experience. He is largely responsible for putting Normandie Burgos, a once well-respected Northern California tennis coach, in prison. Then, Stevie went one step further and filed a civil lawsuit against the United State Tennis Association for allowing Burgos to continue coaching long after the allegations of abuse first surfaced in 2001.
Allison Brown came forward early in 2021 as a sexually abused athlete and filed a lawsuit against Valley Christian High School, alleging that her basketball coach Greg Marshall abused her starting in the 2003-2004 school year. Her civil lawsuit settled six months later.
The day Allison told police she had been sexually abused by her former basketball coach was life-changing for both her and Greg Marshall: he is now serving a 6-plus year sentence for repeatedly abusing Allison and she is working to recover from his abuse.
In 2021, Allison hired Cerri, Boskovich & Allard to represent her in a civil case against Valley Christian, saying the school should have protected her from Marshall.
Allison calls her Attorneys at Cerri, Boskovich & Allard "My Dream Team"Frequently Asked QuestionsIf you were abused in California, you still have time to protect your legal rights. Call and speak to one of our award-winning sexual abuse attorneys for a free and confidential consultation.
You won't find pedophiles at senior citizen centers. Pedophiles go to where the kids are. Pedophilia is a recognized and real psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Thus, the coaching profession attracts many pedophiles.
Most youth athletic organizations understand that their sport will be a magnet for pedophiles. Yet, for various reasons, they choose to ignore the warning signs and even cover up for the criminal behavior of coaches. As attorneys who work primarily with sexual abuse survivors, we want nothing more than for these organizations to protect young athletes.
To understand how a coach is able to coerce a child athlete, take a read at the sexual abuse grooming techniques used by predators.
According to attorney Robert Allard, "predators work best in an environment where there are little if any rules or regulations serving to regulate their actions and those who supervise them have insufficient training." For that reason, sports organizations must make athlete safety a number one priority.
The best way to ensure that this type of crime does not happen to someone else is to come forward and force sports programs to change their policies. You can come forward anonymously and make a difference. But you will not be fighting this fight alone. Our sexual abuse legal team has a long track record of successfully fighting for victims and survivors. In the process, we have received maximum compensation for our clients and forced institutions to change the way they protect athletes and punish coaches.
If an adult intentionally and sexually touched you, then they have committed a crime. As a minor, your consent is not a defense for the adult. If you have been living with the memory and effects of another individual's crime against you, reach out and take the first step towards healing.
The legal system is designed to protect the identity of sexual abuse victims and survivors. That is the reason why your lawsuit can be filed as a "Jane or John Doe." We know that many sexual abuse victims and survivors want to remain anonymous for numerous reasons. We respect that and we will ensure that you case is handled in a confidential manner.
Your case is treated as an individual case. We represent you and work for what is in your best interest. Other law firms will sign up dozens or even hundreds of sex abuse victims and then file one lawsuit on behalf of all victims. They will then settle and divide the settlement money among all victims.
We do not believe that your case should be lumped in with everyone else's case. We believe that the harm caused to you is unique and therefore any settlement should reflect the unique nature of your case.
Our sexual abuse legal team has been honored and named by their competitors as Trial Lawyers of the Year an unprecedented 8 times. Let our reputation work for you. As a result of our success, we are able to secure top dollar settlements, which provides our clients with the financial resources necessary for closure and healing.
Call (408) 289-1417 for a free and confidential consultation.
“Working with CBA has been a truly remarkable experience. They exude genuineness, openness, and transparency, transforming a challenging situation into a positive one. Lauren, in particular, consistently displayed empathy, ensuring a comfortable and safe environment throughout.”
“Every step of the way, Lauren gave me hope when I felt hopeless, and she gave me help when I felt helpless. Lauren was the attorney who I knew was in my corner, and she will undoubtedly continue to be in the corner of survivors to hold their abuser and institution accountable.”
“What happened to me needed to be addressed. I missed out on such an important part of my life, while my institution made no qualms. You don’t get to push kids under a rug. I’m glad I was given an opportunity to address my broken life.”