> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.legalexaminer.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # AAU Sexual Abuse Investigation Raises Questions About Young Athletes' Safety - URL: https://www.legalexaminer.com/crime/sexual-abuse/aau-sexual-abuse-investigation-raises-questions-about-young-athletes-safety/ - Published: 2026-10-20T18:25:02.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-20T18:25:02.000Z - Description: A congressional investigation into the AAU follows reports that coaches suspended or banned by other youth sports organizations were allowed to work with young athletes. Lawmakers are questioning the organization's child sexual abuse prevention policies and how it responds to misconduct allegations. - Author: Legal Examiner Staffer - Tags: Sexual Abuse, #cluster-featured ## Need to Know - Congress has launched an investigation into the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) following reports that the organization failed to protect young athletes from sexual abuse. - A joint investigation by The Washington Post and ProPublica found that AAU programs sometimes allowed coaches suspended or banned by other youth sports organizations to participate. - Lawmakers are seeking answers about the AAU's abuse-prevention policies, background checks, training requirements, and how it handles misconduct allegations. - The congressional investigation could increase oversight and pressure the AAU to strengthen protections for young athletes. --- A congressional committee has launched an investigation into the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) following a [joint investigation](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/08/13/how-aau-is-failing-protect-young-athletes-sexual-abuse/?ref=legalexaminer.com) by The Washington Post and ProPublica that found the youth sports organization had failed to implement promised safeguards against child sexual abuse. Earlier this month, members of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a five-page letter to AAU President and CEO Jo Mirza with a detailed list of questions about child abuse prevention. The committee notably investigated USA Gymnastics after team doctor Larry Nassar was arrested and convicted on charges related to sexual abuse. The legislators requested a briefing from AAU leadership by Oct. 21\. [AAU said in a statement](https://www.propublica.org/article/aau-child-sex-abuse-house-energy-commerce-committee-probe-amateur-athletic-union?ref=legalexaminer.com) that it plans to cooperate fully. ## What Is the AAU? Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the country's largest youth sports organizations. The AAU has approximately 760,000 athletes and coaches participating in more than 40 sports, including track and field, swimming, football, and basketball. Some competitions are open to children as young as four. The [organization says](https://www.aausports.org/athlete-protection-and-abuse-prevention-policy/?ref=legalexaminer.com) it is committed to the safety of children who participate in its competitions and lists several protective measures on its “Athlete Protection and Abuse Prevention” webpage, including required background checks for coaches and voluntary training for non-athletes on child abuse prevention. Critics say the organization hasn’t done enough to prevent abusers from having access to children. ## What The Washington Post and ProPublica Found The investigation, originally published in August, found that the AAU has misled the public about what it’s actually doing to keep children safe. In 2011, AAU CEO Robert “Bobby” Dodd was accused of sexually abusing underage basketball players in the 1980s. It [later emerged](https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/%5F/id/14172814/as-aau-grows-questions-how-spends-money-adheres-mission?ref=legalexaminer.com) that the AAU paid Dodd $1.5 million after he stepped down. In response to the allegations, organization leaders announced wide-ranging reforms to how it handled child safety. The investigation found that many of the changes weren’t ever enforced, allowing the organization to become a “haven” for child abusers. Sports officials told news outlets that the AAU is known for being more lenient in enforcing rules than other youth sports organizations. ## How AAU Handled Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Coaches ProPublica and The Post discovered that coaches who’d been suspended or banned from other youth sports organizations were sometimes allowed to coach AAU programs, even if they faced credible allegations of abuse. That included three gymnastics coaches suspended by other organizations amid the fallout from Larry Nassar’s arrest and a volleyball coach who allegedly said he planned to join the AAU because he was facing a suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport. SafeSport is an independent nonprofit that investigates and addresses misconduct within its jurisdiction. Although the AAU is not directly governed by SafeSport, federal law still requires amateur sports organizations to offer and provide consistent training to adult members on preventing and reporting child abuse. Lawmakers questioned whether the AAU has complied with those requirements. The investigation also raised concerns about the AAU's use of arbitration agreements in child sexual abuse cases. Arbitration lets parties resolve legal disputes outside the traditional court system, often through a private process. Advocates have criticized mandatory arbitration in [sexual abuse](https://www.legalexaminer.com/crime/sexual-abuse/) cases because it can limit survivors' ability to have their claims heard in court. In 2022, Congress passed the [Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act](https://nwlc.org/press-release/senate-passage-of-the-ending-forced-arbitration-of-sexual-assault-and-sexual-harassment-act-of-2021-restores-power-to-survivors-of-sexual-harassment-and-assault/?ref=legalexaminer.com), which limits the enforceability of certain arbitration agreements in qualifying sexual assault and harassment disputes. The law was intended to give survivors greater control over whether to pursue their claims in court. ## Gaps in AAU's Athlete Protection Policies According to The Washington Post and ProPublica, the AAU's use of arbitration agreements in child sexual abuse cases is uncommon among other major youth sports organizations. The investigation identified other differences in how the AAU handles athlete safety. For example, unlike some organizations, the AAU does not publish a list of banned coaches. The AAU also declined to answer certain questions from the publications about its abuse complaint process, enforcement of safety policies, and coach training. Some youth sports organizations forbid anyone suspended or banned by SafeSport from coaching within their programs. The report found that the AAU said it’d institute the same rule but didn't. A former board member told the publications that the AAU looks at the SafeSport list only when it receives a complaint about a coach. One teenager reported to SafeSport in 2025 that a volleyball coach had abused her. SafeSport suspended the coach while investigating the allegations, but he continued coaching athletes on AAU-affiliated teams, according to the investigation. The coach was fired only after The Washington Post and ProPublica contacted the club director. When children experience sexual abuse in youth sports, questions about accountability may extend beyond the person who committed the abuse. Depending on the circumstances, a sports organization could also face civil liability if failures in screening, supervision, or responding to warning signs contributed to the harm. Families may have legal options worth exploring, including claims involving [child sexual abuse](https://survivorlawyer.com/sexual-assault/survivors/children/?ref=legalexaminer.com) by trusted adults or within youth organizations. ## What Congress Wants to Know About AAU's Abuse Prevention Policies In the letter sent to AAU leadership, the bipartisan committee points out that the AAU is required by law to provide training to all adult members who are regularly in contact with minors, even though it isn’t governed by SafeSport. The committee calls the AAU’s current process “unacceptable” and provides a list of questions about the organization's child protection policies and practices. - How many complaints, reports, and allegations the AAU has received since 2011 - Whether the organization requires abuse claims to be resolved by arbitration - The handling of safety rules and policies regarding banned and suspended coaches - Whether coaches are background checked annually and what training is required - How many people have been suspended or banned after abuse complaints - Whether the organization plans to implement an abuse reporting hotline ## What Could Happen Next for AAU? What happens next depends on the outcome of the congressional investigation. The House Energy and Commerce Committee played an instrumental role in investigating the Larry Nassar scandal and, as a result, expanding youth sports guardrails. Lawmakers can advocate for changes to existing legislation designed to protect children and push the AAU to implement reforms the organization has long promised. If the AAU does not voluntarily provide information, the committee could subpoena documents or testimony. For young athletes and their families, the larger question is whether the investigation will lead to meaningful changes in how the AAU prevents abuse, responds to allegations, and holds adults accountable when children's safety is at risk.