SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The law firm of Estey & Bomberger is reporting that the California State Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the legal team’s appeal of a 2nd District Court of Appeal ruling last October, which stated that the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) did not have a legal duty to protect its athletes.

In the October 2019 Appellate Court ruling in Brown v. USA Taekwondo (case number B280550), the court said the USOPC did not have a legal duty to protect athletes. But, the court at the same time also overturned a lower court ruling by writing that USA Taekwondo can be held liable for the harm caused by the sexual abuse of three athletes by convicted coach Marc Gitelman. The ruling against USA Taekwondo was not appealed.

“We are grateful that the State Supreme Court is providing us with the opportunity to argue and prove that the USOPC also has a duty to protect athletes from sexual abuse,” attorney Stephen Estey said. “We are also hopeful that the Supreme Court ultimately agrees with us that the USOPC should do more to protect athletes.”

In the case of Brown v. USA Taekwondo, the Appellate Court revived a Los Angeles County 2015 civil lawsuit filed by the three Olympic hopefuls. The lawsuit states that the convicted Gitelman, enabled by USA Taekwondo and the USOPC, molested the women from 2007 until his arrest on sexual assault charges in August 2014. The case is once again on hold pending a ruling from the State Supreme Court.

Ed Vasquez
EJV Communications
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