A recent legal victory has been achieved by a group of former swimmers from UC Berkeley, who claim the university overlooked serious abuse allegations against its former women’s swimming coach.
A California appeals court decided on Tuesday that 18 former Golden Bears swimmers can go forward with their lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents.
The swimmers initially filed their lawsuit in 2024, stating that university administrators ignored repeated abuse allegations against Terry McKeever, who coached their team for many years. McKeever was dismissed in January 2023 after an external investigation confirmed claims made by numerous athletes.
The case faced dismissal in June 2024 when a judge ruled that some allegations were past the statute of limitations. However, a three-judge panel in California’s First Appellate District determined that the case could continue under discovery rules, which pause the statute until the plaintiff is reasonably aware of the harm caused by the alleged misconduct.
This ruling represents a significant advancement in the legal struggle against the university, where former swimmers assert McKeever was allowed to continue coaching despite ongoing complaints about her behavior.
McKeever has been a prominent figure in women’s swimming, having guided the team to four NCAA championships and served as the head coach for the U.S. Olympic women’s team in 2012. She was the first woman to hold that role.
However, an investigation by the Southern California News Group in 2022 painted a different picture. Nineteen athletes, along with several parents and former male team members, characterized McKeever as a bully, detailing instances of verbal and emotional abuse throughout her tenure.
One swimmer, Danielle Carter, recounted her experience, stating McKeever accused her of faking a medical condition and frequently belittled her with harsh language during practices.
Carter, who is now 25, shared that this treatment affected her ability to eat, sleep, and focus on studies, leading to increased panic attacks and seizures. She also mentioned suicidal thoughts during her freshman year of college, claiming McKeever reacted insensitively upon hearing about it.
Carter described feeling dehumanized, as if she were merely a tool for McKeever’s advantage.
After departing from UC Berkeley’s swimming program, she transferred to UC Santa Barbara, seeking a more supportive environment.
Other former swimmers also reported severe emotional trauma stemming from McKeever’s alleged bullying. One athlete, Chenoa Devine, expressed that she struggled to envision a future in which she would see McKeever daily.
The investigation highlighted that McKeever allegedly pressured injured swimmers to train despite their conditions. A former swimmer, Chloe Clark, shared that McKeever disregarded the severity of her Crohn’s disease symptoms, urging her to continue swimming even when she required emergency surgery.
Swimmers reported being subjected to abusive language and even physical intimidation, with instances of McKeever throwing items and using harsh profanity directed at specific athletes.
McKeever was ultimately terminated on January 31, 2023, following external validation of the athletes’ allegations. In an agreement with the American Center for SafeSport in 2023, she admitted to years of mentally and physically abusing swimmers and received a brief suspension along with a year of probation.
