Paralympian says USOPC ignored warnings about allegedly abusive teammate

As the world’s top Paralympians compete in Paris, the dark cloud stemming from sexual abuse allegations at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 only appears to be growing.

Nearly two years after autistic Paralympic swimmer Parker Egbert accused American teammate Robert Griswold of sexual, emotional and physical abuse, the lawsuit remains in federal court. In an amended complaint, Egbert is now seeking damages from the USOPC. The USOPC’s insurance company, meanwhile, is suing the committee, arguing it is not obligated to defend the organization and should not be liable for any judgments in the case.

Griswold, a world record-holding para swimmer still under a temporary suspension, recently filed his own claim against the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the organization charged with policing sexual abuse in Olympic sports, alleging that he has been denied due process and “intentionally targeted” in a “smear campaign.”

Egbert first sued Griswold, a two-time Paralympian who has cerebral palsy, along with the USOPC and SafeSport, in 2022, alleging that Griswold took advantage of Egbert’s intellectual disability and sexually abused him in 2021 and 2022. The lawsuit alleges that Griswold served as Egbert’s “de facto chaperone” in Tokyo and later urged USOPC officials to invite Egbert to live and train at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where they were again paired as roommates.

Griswold’s attorneys declined to be interviewed, citing a protective order barring parties from discussing the case. In a statement, one of his attorneys, John Chanin, said Griswold “looks forward to his day in Court when he can clear his name of these unfounded accusations."

“After nearly two years of discovery and depositions, there is no credible evidence to support the allegations in the Complaint,” Chanin said. “The Colorado Springs Police Department fully investigated these accusations and the District Attorney concluded they did not rise to the level of even probable cause. And yet, Mr. Griswold remains suspended without a trial or meaningful due process, and he is missing the Paris Paralympic Games.”

The Paralympics started last week in Paris and continue through Sunday. Egbert won’t be watching, his mother said.

“This tragedy has stolen his dreams and shattered his soul,” Laura Egbert said in a written response to questions. “Parker is very proud of his teammates that made it to Paris, but at this time, it’s too painful to watch them compete.”

‘A blind eye’

It was 11 months before the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games that SafeSport first looked into an allegation of misconduct against Griswold involving an underage athlete. The allegation is among several included in an updated complaint, which has been reviewed by the parties and is expected to be filed soon by Egbert.

In September 2020, the complaint alleges, a 16-year-old blind athlete told USOPC officials that Griswold, who was 23 at the time, assaulted her in an elevator before sending her a text saying he wanted to have sex with her. Griswold was temporarily suspended by SafeSport, but according to court records, investigators determined that “Griswold’s only misconduct was providing alcohol to a minor.” The suspension was lifted in time for him to compete at the Tokyo Games.

A SafeSport spokesperson declined to comment, saying the organization does not discuss specific cases or pending litigation.

The complaint also alleges that in May 2021, “a group of athletes requested that USOPC not allow Griswold to be present during their workout sessions because Griswold constantly made them feel uncomfortable.” Five athletes told USOPC officials they were uncomfortable with Griswold living at the training center, the complaint alleges.

“USOPC had actual knowledge of multiple prior instances, or at minimum credible allegations, of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse perpetrated by Griswold, yet turned a blind eye and/or conspired to cover-up such allegations, on each occasion,” Egbert’s new complaint alleges.

Griswold was again suspended by SafeSport in August 2022, shortly after Egbert first revealed the alleged abuse to his parents, and has not competed since. He has not been charged with a crime. The Colorado Springs Police Department investigated the allegations made by Egbert but has not filed charges. A spokesman said the case is not currently active.

SafeSport launched an investigation of Egbert’s allegations but is apparently not close to rendering judgment. At a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting in March, Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) questioned Ju’Reise Colón, the SafeSport chief executive, about the drawn-out process.

“I read the pleading, I read his firsthand account, and it was terrible. Nobody should’ve had to go through what he did,” Colón said, noting that SafeSport officials were coordinating with parties in the civil suit to access depositions and discovery “to avoid the need to reinterview potential trauma survivors.”

SafeSport was dropped as a defendant in Egbert’s case in 2023, but Griswold filed his own claim against the organization last month, calling it “a rogue agency operating contrary to federal and state constitutions.” Griswold, who won two gold medals and set a world record at the Tokyo Paralympics, said SafeSport “ruined” his career “in an astounding case of overreach and vicious prosecution.”

Saying the organization employs “secret, fraudulent, and illegal processes,” Griswold is seeking at least $500,000 in damages due to SafeSport’s temporary suspension, which he says has cost him “the loss of medical and health insurance benefits, a stipend, award money, housing benefits, coaching, residence, future coaching opportunities” as well as name, image and likeness earnings.

A policy dispute

Also last month, HDI Global Specialty SE, the USOPC’s insurance company, filed a lawsuit saying “it has no duty to defend or indemnify USOPC” and is seeking to recoup more than $600,000 in legal costs it has tallied in defending the USOPC thus far in the case.

HDI says it is not obligated to legally defend the case or pay for any judgments because Griswold is not a USOPC employee. In its response, the USOPC disagreed.

“It is plainly covered under the Policy. That is why HDI has been defending the USOPC for almost two years now,” the USOPC said in a court filing.

“This case is about the rape of an intellectually disabled Paralympian that took place when he was in USOPC’s care, and it wants to squabble with its insurance carrier over coverage,” said Frank Salzano, one of Egbert’s attorneys. “Delays like this only benefit the party holding the money.”

It is not the first conflict between the USOPC and its insurer. Egbert has asked the court to levy sanctions against the USOPC because the organization failed to properly disclose the extent of its insurance coverage.

In May 2023, the USOPC disclosed a single policy with a limit of $1 million. Egbert’s lawyers had initially sought $100 million from the USOPC but lowered that number to $9.9 million. They later learned that the USOPC carries at least four other excess liability policies.

“Had Egbert known that USOPC carried ten times more insurance than it had initially disclosed, he would not have reduced his settlement demand so drastically,” Egbert’s lawyers wrote in one filing.

In June, two weeks after disclosing additional policies, the USOPC backed out of a scheduled mediation with Egbert.

“Our family is enduring a life-changing tragedy, and a resolution with USOPC would help us move forward,” said Aaron Egbert, the swimmer’s father. “When USOPC pulled out of a mediation that was scheduled for July, apparently because of a fight with its insurance company, I was furious. Parker was confused and hopeless.”

The USOPC declined to comment on the ongoing civil case.

When Egbert’s charges first surfaced in 2022, the USOPC placed two U.S. Paralympics Swimming officials on administrative leave. Erin Popovich has since resumed her duties as the director of U.S. Paralympics Swimming. Nathan Manley, the associate director and the U.S. head coach in Tokyo, left the organization and was hired in June as head coach at Anderson University, a Division II school in South Carolina.