U.S. Figure Skating reaches $1.45 million settlement with former skater in sexual abuse case
U.S. Figure Skating agreed to pay Adam Schmidt $1.45 million to settle a lawsuit he filed against the organization alleging it failed to protect athletes from sexual abuse after he was allegedly assaulted by former coach Richard Callaghan, according to ABC News.
The payment settled the lawsuit Schmidt, 36, filed against it in 2019, though does not include an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
“I think the settlement speaks for itself,” Schmidt told ABC News. “People don’t settle things for millions of dollars for nothing.”
Schmidt alleged coach sexually assaulted him
Schmidt alleged that Callaghan, now 74, repeatedly sexually assaulted him between 1999 and 2001 while he was training as a teenager.
Callaghan, who coached Tara Lipinski to the gold medal at the 1998 Olympics, denied the allegations but was banned for life from the sport by the U.S. Center for SafeSport shortly after Schmidt’s allegations. That ruling was later reduced to just a three-year suspension.
Schmidt also filed the lawsuit against Callaghan and the Onyx Ice Arena in Michigan. The arena, per ABC News, had previously agreed to pay Schmidt $1.75 million.
“How did this happen? Why 20 years ago did everyone know and do nothing?” Schmidt said, via ABC News. “Because if they would have done something then … I never would have been abused.”
Schmidt is not the only one to accuse Callaghan of sexual abuse. Crarig Maurizi went public with similar allegations in 1999, claiming that Callaghan abused him from 1977 to 1986 when he was as young as 15 years old. Per USA Today, Callaghan “initiated a full sexual relationship with Maurizi when he was 18,” which “continued until he was 22” though the inappropriate conduct occurred for another 12 years.
Maurizi also sued Callaghan and U.S. Figure Skating in July, and described the actions from the sport’s governing body as “a deliberate coverup.”
“U.S. Figure Skating does not comment on litigation,” the organization said in a statement, via ABC News. “U.S. Figure Skating fully supports all victims of sexual abuse and misconduct and encourages anyone who has been abused or suspects abuse or misconduct to immediately report it to local law enforcement, the U.S. Center for SafeSport or U.S. Figure Skating.”
Schmidt – who was previously known as Adam Badaani — and Maurizi’s allegations are just the latest to rock the figure skating world in recent years. Former Olympic medalist Ashley Wagner accused deceased figure skater John Coughlin of assaulting her when she was 17. Coughlin, who had also been accused by his former partner of sexual misconduct, committed suicide in 2019. French figure skater Morgan Cipres is facing a felony charge in Florida after he allegedly sent a 13-year-old American figure skater lewd photos of his penis on Instagram in 2017.
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