Nancy Hogshead, a three-time Team USA Olympic gold medalist, has won a significant legal victory for athlete safety. A federal judge in Chicago dismissed a $250 million lawsuit filed against Hogshead by Rick Butler, a prominent junior volleyball coach accused of sexually abusing underage players.
Background of the Case
The lawsuit was filed in December 2021 by Butler and his wife Cheryl, targeting statements Hogshead made in 2017 and 2018 regarding allegations that Butler sexually abused teenage girls that he coached in the 1980s.
Hogshead said in a statement, ‘For decades, Rick Butler has talked his way out of the consequences that should have flowed from the findings that he sexually abused his minor athletes; he could be very convincing. While substantial evidence existed that would have enabled reasonable people to conclude that Rick Butler posed a serious danger to girls, it was difficult for families and the volleyball community to accurately assess that risk. That record is now plain for all to see.’
The lawsuit alleged Hogshead’s statements were part of a malicious effort to ruin the couple’s volleyball business. However, because Butler is a public figure, the court ruled his defamation-style claims failed because he could not establish ‘actual malice.’
Implications of the Ruling
The judge’s decision affirms that sports organizations, advocates, survivors, journalists, and nonprofits have the legal right to present a record of abuse, even when the coach is operating outside a specific sports arena.
Hogshead added, ‘Survivors, whose coach has been found to have sexually abused them, deserve more than the abuser’s name posted on a little-known database at the U.S. Center for SafeSport.’ She also emphasized the importance of denying abusers access to athletes, stating, ‘It is highly distressing that Rick Butler continues today to coach young girls.’
Butler’s attorney, Danielle D’Ambrose, provided a statement addressing the ruling, saying, ‘While we respect the judicial process, we strongly disagree with aspects of the Court’s decision and believe significant factual and legal issues remain unresolved.’
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
