Taekwondo Star Suspended After Lawsuit

(ATR) USA Taekwondo has suspended Steven Lopez after he was named in a class-action lawsuit filed last week in Colorado.

The suit, filed in federal court by four plaintiffs, names Lopez and his brother Jean Lopez in a pattern of sexual assault. The suit also names both USA Taekwondo and the United States Olympic Committee saying the bodies "knowingly promoted, empowered, and clothed Jean Lopez with the authority, legitimacy, and trustworthiness of being the official coach of Team USA’s taekwondo team and his brother, Steven, with being the superstar of USA taekwondo".

USA Taekwondo confirmed in a statement to NPR that Lopez was suspended from competing on an international stage by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The center previously listed Lopez as restricted on an interim measure as he was investigated. Steven Lopez won gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and his family has been referred to as the "first family" of U.S. taekwondo.

The national governing body told NPR it will enforce the suspension immediately and "fully supports the important work of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and respects its exclusive jurisdiction over sexual misconduct matters".

Jean Lopez had been declared permanently ineligible by the Center for SafeSport in a decision on April 3 for two cases of sexual misconduct, one involving a minor. Both of the cases are pending appeal.

Mandy Meloon and Heidi Gilbert, former national team athletes, and Gabriella Joslin of Houston, a former collegiate athlete, filed the suit with Amber Means from Washington. Gilbert had filed a suit against Jean Lopez last month in Colorado alleging the coach sexually abused her at a meet in Germany.

Both the USOC and USA Taekwondo have been named as defendants in the suit, which seeks damages from the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017.

The taekwondo suit is just one of a number of high profile scandals facing Olympic sport in the United States. In addition to USA Taekwondo, both USA Gymnastics and USA Swimming have seen athletes come forward with stories of sexual abuse from coaches.

In gymnastics, the conviction of former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar on more than 150 counts of sexual abuse led to the USOC to call for the resignation of the entire USA Gymnastics board. A new president was appointed, and an independent investigation into how much the USOC knew about Nassar commenced.

Shortly after the investigation began USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun stepped down from the organization. Blackmun said a recent cancer diagnosis played into him being unable to shepherd the organization through the crisis effectively.

Susanne Lyons was then named interim chief executive. Lyons along with leaders of four NGBs have been summoned to Congress to testify in front of a House of Representatives subcommittee on May 23. The day before a Senate subcommittee will hold another hearing on abuse of athletes in sports with witnesses to be announced.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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