A federal jury in Florida on Monday ordered the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to pay $9 million in a sexual abuse case, The Athletic reported.
Former junior tennis player Kylie McKenzie has been awarded $9 million in damages by a Florida federal court jury after suing the USTA for failing to prevent sexual abuse by a coach at one of its training centers during her tenure. was ordered. Teen years. Coach Anibal Aranda was accused of using his position to exploit and sexually assault vulnerable female athletes. according to To The Athletic.
The jury awarded McKenzie $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $6 million in punitive damages. MacKenzie, now 25, expressed her relief and vindication following her verdict and hoped her lawsuit would inspire other victims to speak out, ABC News reported. report.
On Tuesday, a Florida jury awarded a tennis player $9 million, accusing the United States Tennis Association of failing to protect her from a coach who sexually abused her at one of its training centers as a teenager. Compensation was awarded. https://t.co/Ve8IIs9GTb
— ABC News (@ABC) May 7, 2024
“I couldn’t be more satisfied with this outcome. I feel vindicated,” McKenzie said in a statement emailed Tuesday by one of her attorneys, Amy Judkins, according to ABC. The news reported. “It was very hard, but now I feel like it was worth it. I hope I can be an example for other girls to speak up, even when it’s difficult.” (Related: Olympic athlete stripped of honor after 50 years after abuse allegations found to be credible: Report)
The lawsuit accuses the USTA of negligence in preventing sexual assault and deciding to retain Coach Aranda despite past allegations of assault against USTA employees. In 2016, at the peak of his junior career, McKenzie achieved his career-high ranking of No. 33, beating out players who would later go on to prominent professional careers, ABC News reported.
Judkins praised the jury’s decision, noting that it recognized the personal impact of the decision on McKenzie and the wider impact on athlete safety.
“We are very pleased with the jury’s decision to award Ms. Mackenzie for her pain and suffering, but more importantly, the jury’s decision to award punitive damages is “We believe this sends the right message to all sports organizations that they must take the necessary steps to protect their banner,” Judkins said in a statement, ABC News reported. .
Despite the ruling, the USTA plans to appeal. USTA spokesperson Chris Widmyer expressed sympathy for MacKenzie, but criticized the court’s decision, particularly the expectation that victims report their abusers, which could deter future reporting. He claimed to have sex.
“The court ruled that the USTA was liable because one of its employees (a non-athlete) had a duty to report his experience with this coach to the USTA. It was not known until after the dismissal. This will create new unreasonable expectations for the victims and deter them from coming forward in the future,” Widmyer said, ABC News reported.
