US Tennis Association Sexual Abuse

U.S. Tennis Association Coach Sexual Assault Case Will Be Decided by Jury

Published on: February 21, 2024 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

A Florida federal judge has ruled in favor of tennis professional Kylie McKenzie, determining that the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) failed to adequately supervise her coach, Anibal Aranda, who sexually assaulted her. The ruling opens the door to a jury trial.

U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron, in his recent order, granted partial summary judgment, affirming that an internal USTA investigation verified Aranda’s “engagement in sexual misconduct” with McKenzie in 2018, when she was 19, and also revealed an incident involving the coach four years earlier. The USTA‘s own records documented 31 reports of sexual abuse within the sport between 2013 and 2018, indicating its awareness of the pervasive issue of sexual abuse among amateur athletes, as stated by Judge Byron.

The judge emphasized that since the USTA oversees both the training facility and coaches for athletes in its program, individuals like McKenzie depend on the organization to take reasonable measures to prevent instances of abuse during training sessions and events. McKenzie argued that the USTA shares a “special relationship” with its players, similar to the duty of care universities owe to their adult students, thus imposing an obligation to protect athletes in its training program from sexual assault — a claim the court supported.

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US Tennis Association Sexual Abuse

Published on: April 25, 2023 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual abuse has been a problem within the US Tennis Association or USTA, with numerous allegations and cases of abuse coming to light in recent years. Survivors have criticized the organization for failing to take adequate steps to protect athletes from abuse, and for not doing enough to address incidents of abuse when they occur.

In addition to the high-profile cases of abuse involving Bob Hewitt and Justin Gimelstob, there have been numerous other allegations of abuse within the sport. Some of these allegations involve coaches and other individuals in positions of authority who used their power to sexually exploit young athletes.

The US Tennis Association (USTA) has taken some steps to address incidents of abuse, including creating a Safe Play program to promote safe and respectful interactions among athletes, coaches, and other individuals involved in the sport. The organization has also implemented stronger background checks for coaches and officials, and has encouraged athletes and others to come forward with any concerns or allegations of abuse.

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Kylie McKenzie USTA Lawsuit

Published on: April 4, 2022 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Female tennis sensation Kylie McKenzie sues USTA for sexual harassment and assault committed by its coach

Federal lawsuit filed by San Jose-based Cerri, Boskovich & Allard and Florida-based Normand PLLC

ORLANDO, Fla., March 29, 2022 – A rising tennis star who was sexually assaulted by her coach has filed suit against the United States Tennis Association, claiming the organization and its player development affiliate failed to protect her from a known sexual abuser.

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Sexual abuse survivor Stevie Gould empowered by suing USTA

Published on: November 11, 2021 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Sexual predator Normandie Burgos, a once well-respected Northern California tennis coach, is serving a 255-year prison sentence after being found guilty in May 2020 of 60 counts of child molestation.

Some of the charges involved Stevie Gould, who was a 13- year-old tennis player when Burgos began abusing him. The abuse went on for two years.

Stevie is largely responsible for putting Burgos in prison: he secretly recorded the tennis coach admitting to having sex with a child and turned the recording over to police.

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NY Times investigative report on USTA

Published on: September 26, 2020 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

David W. Chen from the New York Times takes a look at the US Tennis Association and its failure to protect young athletes from a serial sexual predator. Read the USTA Burgos story in full. Here is a summary:

According to the New York Times, with growing cases of sexual misconduct between sports coaches and athletes, the United States Olympic Committee reported, in September 2014, that all sports, except tennis, had taken the initiative to protect athletes from abusers. At the time, Gordon Smith, the tennis association’s executive director, and chief operating officer, “objected to a ‘single mandatory national entity’ overseeing abuse cases across federations.” Adding that “a sport should be able to ‘opt-out of the centralized structure’ if it could police itself.”

The problem with self-policing has shown, however, that many abusers fall through the cracks. Just a few months before this 2014 meeting, a U.S.T.A. tennis coach, Normandie Burgos, had been arrested for abusing one of his athletes. Unfortunately, it was not his first time facing criminal charges for sexual misconduct. Source: New York Times

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United States Tennis Association named in sexual abuse lawsuit

Published on: January 16, 2020 | By Cerri, Boskovich & Allard, LLP

Civil lawsuit filed on victim’s behalf by Robert Allard of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard

When “W.S.” met Coach Normandie Burgos he was just seven years old, a young boy who was good at tennis and wanted to get better.

There’s no disputing that Burgos wanted W.S. to become a great tennis player – he repeatedly told W.S.’s parents that he was a “champion.” But as the years passed, W.S. grew up and Coach Burgos began to want more.

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