A group of former UC Berkeley swimmers who accused the school of ignoring abuse allegations against its women's swimming coach have won a major legal reversal.
A California appeals court ruled that 18 former Cal Golden Bears swimmers can move forward with their lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents.
The lawsuit alleges that university officials ignored years of abuse claims against longtime women's swimming coach Teri McKeever, who was fired in January 2023 after an outside law firm confirmed allegations made by dozens of athletes.
The initial lawsuit was dismissed in June 2024 because a judge ruled that the two-year time limit for filing such claims had passed, but a three-judge panel found that the lawsuit can proceed under the "discovery rule."
The court found that a 2022 investigation helped many former swimmers to realize McKeever's alleged conduct was not simply hard coaching but alleged abuse, citing a power imbalance between coaches and athletes.
McKeever had been one of the most powerful figures in women's swimming, leading Cal to four NCAA team titles and coaching the 2012 US Olympic women's team, but was fired after allegations of verbal and emotional abuse surfaced.
