USA Swimming named in explosive sexual abuse lawsuit involving former coach Joseph Bernal
Bernal coached at Harvard and was on the Olympic coaching staffs in 1984 and 1988.
Tony CookSwimming coach Joseph Bernal led Harvard University to seven league titles. He trained multiple Olympians, including a gold medalist. And he served on the coaching staff of the U.S. National Team in the 1980s.
He was also a "known child rapist," according to an explosive new lawsuit that blames USA Swimming and others for failing to protect one of his former athletes from sexual abuse.
USA Swimming quietly banned Bernal from the sport in 2016 for sexual misconduct, but the allegations that led to that decision have never been made public.
Now, the woman whose complaint led to the ban is speaking out for the first time. Her 33-page lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston, presents a devastating portrait of a legendary coach who brazenly abused his position of authority ― and others in the sport who allegedly allowed Bernal's misconduct to continue unchecked for years.