Court Rules Safe-Sport Advocates Have Right to Warn Of Abuse Risks
A $250 million lawsuit against Nancy Hogshead, Champion Women, and Deb DiMatteo has been dismissed - Federal Court Declares Women's Sports Advocates Have First Amendment Right to Warn of the Risks of Sexually Abusive Coaches
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has granted summary judgment in favour of 1984 triple Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead, Champion Women, and Deborah DiMatteo, defendants in a lawsuit brought by Rick Butler, Cheryl Butler, and their company, GLV, Inc., d/b/a Sports Performance Volleyball.
The court found that the defendants were exercising their constitutionally protected First Amendment rights to speak about a matter of public concern and controversy: namely, the risk of harm that Rick Butler posed to young athletes. Hogshead and Champion Women note:
"Numerous findings of fact determined that the volleyball coach had sexual intercourse with girls under 18-years-old while in a position of authority over them."
The case is the latest in a catalogue of challenges brought by Champion Women, the advocacy group founded by Hogshead, the civil rights lawyer who has spent decades fighting for and reinforcing women's rights.
Hogshead's advocacy is rooted in her own life experience, including that of a rape survivor and a swimmer who went on to claim three Olympic golds (a snap for the 100m free with USA teammate Carrie Steinseifer; with mates in the 4x100m and 4x100m medley relays) and a silver (200m medley behind USA teammate Tracy Caulkins).
The long list of Champion Women's successes include advocacy with others that helped get the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athlete Act (S2330) over the line in 2020:
Craig Lord
Ongoing struggles include advocacy for Title IX rights and provisions in place for women for half a century yet under attack in recent years as a result of sports organisations and politicians that have failed to acknowledge and grasp the unfair and unsafe nature and consequence of allowing males to participate in the female category in sport.
Here's Hogshead and Champion Women's take on their latest success in court:
Read about the case in full here at Champion Women:
