Politics

SafeSport Will Now Alert Schools, Clubs if Coaches Sanctioned for Abuse Continue to Work With Kids

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 05/11/2026, 11:24:25 UTC.

Briefings

SafeSport launched a new initiative to notify schools and leagues when coaches banned for abuse continue working with children. ProPublica and The Washington Post uncovered cases where banned coaches like Ryan Richardson and Gavin Rudder remained active despite bans. SafeSport can only sanction national sports governing bodies, leaving many leagues and schools without mandatory reporting. The initiative includes a new internal process and a video with CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, but coaches outside SafeSport's jurisdiction remain unmonitored.

Key points

• SafeSport can only suspend or bar coaches from contact with athletes if they are members of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's national sports governing bodies.
• Ryan Richardson, a banned volleyball coach, continued coaching teenage girls in Texas after being sanctioned by USA Volleyball in 2024 and was later banned by SafeSport.

Context

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is responding to reports from ProPublica and The Washington Post about gaps in the child protection system in youth sports. The initiative aims to alert schools and leagues when coaches banned for abuse continue working with kids, though many organizations are not required to follow SafeSport's bans.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to specific cases reported by ProPublica and The Washington Post, including Ryan Richardson and Gavin Rudder. SafeSport's authority is restricted to national sports governing bodies, leaving many leagues and schools without mandatory reporting mechanisms. Some coaches, like Rudder, disputed the ban's relevance to their specific sport, and SafeSport did not comment on personnel matters for the Weslaco High School case.

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