This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
Published on December 17, 2019, a series of lawsuits has shed light on the dark side of coaching legends, who were revered for their skills on the field but allegedly used their positions of power to abuse and exploit their students.
One such case involves a former football player from St. Francis Prep in Queens, who alleged in an affidavit that a coach invited him to his home for a private workout and then exposed and fondled him. The coach, who has since passed away, was accused of similar behavior by multiple former players.
Another lawsuit filed against Riverside Church alleges that a coach, Mr. Lorch, who died in 2012, regularly reviewed his report cards as a condition for staying on the team and then abused him in a Riverside Church office. This is not the first time Mr. Lorch has been accused of abuse, as a previous lawsuit filed by the same player ran into the statute of limitations.
Many coaches held positions of authority that went beyond their roles as educators, with some serving as teachers, religious leaders, and community figures. At Islip High School on Long Island, a French teacher and coach allegedly asked a female ninth-grade student to manage the fencing team he coached, and then abused her in the basement where practices were held.
Two former gymnasts from Brighton, near Rochester, have also come forward with allegations of abuse by their coach, Duncan Ververs. They claim to have been abused hundreds of times, starting in 1970, and are seeking justice and compensation.
