This National Youth Sports Organization Is Failing to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse
The post This National Youth Sports Organization Is Failing to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse appeared first on ProPublica .
A widely recognized youth sports organization, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), is facing criticism for its inability to safeguard children from sexual abuse, according to an investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post. With over 760,000 athletes and coaches nationwide, the AAU operates in numerous sports across the country.
Despite promising safe environments for children, the organization has fallen short in implementing necessary safety measures. ProPublica and The Post found that the AAU does not offer child abuse prevention training, fails to verify coach participation in the training, and does not ban coaches banned by other organizations. Instead, the AAU has prioritized expanding its reach and revenue, allowing it to grow unchecked.
The investigation also revealed that the AAU's review board has exonerated some coaches accused of sexual abuse without conducting thorough investigations. With no public list of coaches found to have abused children, the AAU's secrecy and lack of transparency make it difficult to assess the true extent of the problem.
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