A jury in Florida federal courtroom awarded a tennis player $9 million in damages after she accused the U.S. Tennis Association of failing to defend her from a coach she stated sexually abused her as a young person at certainly one of its coaching facilities.
The lawsuit, filed by Kylie McKenzie in March 2022, stated Anibal Aranda, who was employed by the game’s nationwide governing physique for about seven years and later fired, used his place as a USTA coach to get entry to susceptible feminine athletes and commit sexual battery in opposition to them.
“I could not be happier with the result. I really feel validated,” McKenzie stated in an announcement emailed Tuesday by certainly one of her legal professionals, Amy Judkins. “It was very laborious, however I really feel now that it was all value it. I hope I might be an instance for different ladies to communicate out even when it is tough.”
Her lawsuit stated the USTA negligently failed to defend her from sexual assaults and was negligent in holding Aranda as a coach after he sexually assaulted a USTA worker.
As a junior player, McKenzie — who is now 25 — reached a career-high rating of No. 33 in 2016. The 12 months earlier than, she compiled a 20-6 report in junior competitors, together with victories over Sofia Kenin, who would go on to win the championship on the 2020 Australian Open, and Tamara Zidansek, later a semifinalist on the 2021 French Open.
The U.S. District Court jury awarded McKenzie $3 million in compensation and added $6 million in punitive damages on Monday.
“We are more than happy with the jury’s choice to award Ms. McKenzie for her ache and struggling however extra importantly we imagine the jury’s choice to award punitive damages sends the proper message to all sports activities organizations that they have to take obligatory steps to defend the athletes beneath their banner,” Judkins wrote.
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Spokesman Chris Widmaier stated the USTA would enchantment.
“We are sympathetic to the plaintiff and what she endured. We don’t — and have by no means — disputed her allegations in opposition to a coach,” Widmaier stated.
He stated the USTA was “deeply troubled” by the choice, together with that “the courtroom dominated that the USTA was liable as a result of certainly one of its staff — a non-athlete — had an obligation to report her personal expertise with this coach to the USTA; an incident that was unknown till after the USTA eliminated the coach. This units a brand new and unreasonable expectation for victims, one that can deter them from coming ahead sooner or later.”
Widmaier stated Tuesday {that a} overview of the USTA’s safeguarding insurance policies and procedures is ongoing. Two legal professionals at a Washington-based agency had been enlisted to look into how the USTA retains athletes protected from abuse and the way it responds to stories of misconduct.
