The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is facing serious allegations of negligence, with a lawsuit claiming they knowingly put a Paralympic swimmer in danger. Parker Egbert, a Paralympic swimmer who competed in the Tokyo Games, filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging repeated physical and sexual abuse by a teammate. Now, new court filings from his lawyers suggest that the USOPC was aware of multiple complaints regarding the teammate’s conduct before assigning Egbert to share a room with the accused abuser.
Egbert’s mother spoke to The New York Times, expressing her anguish: “Parker is thrilled to see his teammates fulfill their dreams, but he also feels a devastating loss because he will never return to competitive swimming after the horrific abuse he endured. We were shocked to find out during discovery in this lawsuit the number, and severity, of complaints that other athletes made.” The complaints reportedly include a sexual misconduct allegation made by another Paralympic swimmer a year before the Tokyo Games.
Egbert, a 21-year-old diagnosed with autism as an infant, competes in the S14 category, which categorizes swimmers with intellectual impairments impacting their performance. He is now seeking punitive damages against the USOPC for their alleged failure to protect him.
These revelations come at a time when another Paralympics is underway in Paris. The Games, which commenced on Wednesday, feature 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations participating in various events. With over 2.1 million tickets already sold out of 2.5 million, the Games could potentially surpass the record 2.7 million ticket sales of the London 2012 Paralympics.
However, the shadow of Egbert’s lawsuit and the accusations against the USOPC cast a stark contrast to the celebratory atmosphere of the Paris Games. The incident raises serious concerns about the USOPC’s commitment to athlete safety and the need for a thorough investigation into the handling of these complaints.
