Lawsuit: Upstate Paralympic swimmer says he was raped by teammate

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A swimmer from the Upstate who competed in the 2020 Paralympic Games is suing a teammate and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) after he says he was sexually assaulted multiple times.

A graphic lawsuit filed on Friday in the District Court of Colorado says the alleged victim, a teen with ‘severe disabilities,’ was groomed, raped and threatened into silence by another swimmer while the team was in Tokyo.

The lawsuit says the teen “continues to suffer from persistent and excruciating rectal pain, for which surgery and continuing medical attention is required.”

The teen also accuses USOPC and SafeSport, a nonprofit that works to prevent sexual abuse in sports, of failing to keep him safe.

A USOPC spokesperson said they are taking the allegations seriously and two unnamed staff members are now on administrative leave.

“The allegations brought forth by the complaint filed today are extremely concerning and we take them very seriously,” Jon Mason said. “We’ve made the decision to place two staff members on administrative leave and have also stopped the work of several contractors with U.S. Paralympics Swimming. We’re also continuing our investigation of the allegations to help us determine the facts, and we are committed to taking appropriate action.”

The Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed they have an open and active investigation into the accused swimmer, but they can’t release any further details at this time.

FOX Carolina has reached out to SafeSport and the family of the teen who filed the lawsuit for more information.

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