Lawmakers demand answers on Amateur Athletic Union sex abuse scandal

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking for answers from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) over its handling of sex abuse allegations within its ranks.

In a letter to AAU leadership, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) called it “unacceptable that AAU is failing to implement standard reforms to protect child athletes, and is misleading the public, parents, and athletes about preventative measures in place within AAU sports.”

The letter comes after the publication of an investigation from ProPublica in August that found the AAU has not put in place promised reforms around sex abuse by coaches and other officials following a 2011 scandal.

After the AAU said it would keep coaches banned for misconduct by other youth sports groups out of its ranks, ProPublica found eight banned coaches working with kids in the AAU.

“ProPublica’s reporting describes numerous abuse cases involving AAU coaches that occurred even after the organization’s updated child protection policies were reportedly put in place in 2012,” the lawmakers wrote.

They noted sexual abuse in the Olympic and Paralympic movements led to sweeping reforms implemented by Congress, including the creation of a publicly searchable database of suspended or banned individuals.

“While progress has been made in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, unfortunately we are seeing parallels between what the Committee saw in its prior investigation with what is being uncovered within the AAU today,” the lawmakers wrote.

AAU, in a response to ProPublica when its investigation was published, said it was “committed to protecting its athletes through comprehensive protection policies overseen by our Compliance Department.”

The organization insisted protecting young athletes “is at the forefront of our safety measures such as a verified identity check and mandatory background screenings for all non-athlete AAU members, including coaches.”

The AAU today has almost 800,000 athletes competing in more than 50 sports across the U.S., including basketball, soccer and volleyball.