In 2022, Southern California News Group investigated claims from 19 University of California swimmers, their parents and former teammates, alleging that decorated head coach Teri McKeever verbally and emotionally abused, swore at and threatened swimmers on an almost daily basis.
Following that investigation, McKeever was eventually fired, and the swimmers attempted to sue the university, but their lawsuit was tossed, with the judge claiming the statute of limitations had expired.
Now, according to Yahoo Sports, judges from the First Appellate District of California have reversed that 2023 ruling and will allow a lawsuit from the student-athletes to proceed.
Related: Cal Swimmers Say Coach Verbally Abused Them for Years
“Plaintiffs acknowledge that while they were on the team, they knew they were suffering due to McKeever’s coaching,” the decision reads. “But plaintiffs argue they did not know McKeever’s conduct was anything other than legitimate, challenging coaching. That is, they did not know McKeever had committed any wrongdoing.”
In reversing the previous ruling, the judges acknowledged that a power dynamic between coaches and athletes can “make it difficult for athletes to realize they are victims of abuse.”
According to SwimSwam, the major legal reversal against the University of California Board of Regents will proceed in Alameda County Superior Court. The former student-athletes accuse the UC Board of Regents of negligence, negligent supervision or retention, negligent failure to warn, train or educate, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit, from 18 of the former female swimmers, alleges that the university allowed McKeever to continue coaching despite having knowledge of her bullying and harassment dating back to 2014. Several student-athletes throughout the years met with athletics directors and university leadership to report the behavior, but nothing was done. As a part of SCNG’s investigation, the group conducted interviews, as well as read emails, letters, and university documents, and listened to recordings of conversations between McKeever and swimmers, revealing an environment in which swimmers — from Olympians, World Championships participants and All-Americans to non-scholarship athletes — are consumed with avoiding McKeever’s alleged wrath. This preoccupation has led to panic attacks, anxiety, sleepless nights, depression, self-doubt, suicidal thoughts and planning, and in some cases self harm.
At the time of the investigation, former Cal swimmer Chenoa Devine said, “I didn’t want to exist in a world where I had to see Teri every day. I didn’t want to be alive. I didn’t want to exist.”
