ProPublica has launched a public reporting initiative seeking reader experiences with youth sports coaches who have been banned for misconduct but continue working with children. The investigation focuses on gaps in the system that allow suspended coaches to move between organizations and maintain access to young athletes.
The news organization has spent more than a year examining how major youth sports nonprofits, particularly the Amateur Athletic Union, have failed to protect children from sexual abuse. Reporters have identified at least eight coaches currently working with kids under the AAU banner despite being placed on the SafeSport centralized disciplinary list, which was created by Congress in 2017 to prevent abuse in Olympic and amateur sports.
SafeSport serves as a congressionally mandated clearinghouse for abuse complaints across more than 50 national governing bodies and multi-sport organizations. The center maintains a public database that employers, parents, and event organizers can check to verify whether coaches have been sanctioned.
What the Right Is Saying
The AAU, in a written statement to ProPublica, said it "is committed to protecting its athletes through comprehensive protection policies overseen by our Compliance Department" and declined to comment on individual cases. The organization has historically pushed back against federal oversight of youth sports, arguing that such interference infringes on parental rights and the autonomy of private athletic organizations.
Conservative legal advocates contend that expanding SafeSport's authority could lead to government overreach in local athletics. "Parents should have the right to choose their children's coaches and organizations without Washington bureaucrats second-guessing those decisions," said a spokesperson for the American Center for Law and Justice, which frequently argues for limits on federal regulatory power.
What the Left Is Saying
Child safety advocates and Democratic lawmakers who oversaw SafeSport's creation say the investigation highlights persistent regulatory gaps in youth sports protection. Representative Ted W. Lieu of California, who co-sponsored legislation related toSafeSport's establishment, said through a spokesperson that "the center was designed to be a first line of defense, but it has no enforcement mechanism over organizations like the AAU that choose not to participate fully."
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children declined to comment specifically on ProPublica's reporting but noted in a statement that "any organization working with children must treat abuse prevention as a non-negotiable priority, not an administrative burden." Survivor advocacy groups have long argued that SafeSport's reliance on voluntary compliance by member organizations creates exploitable loopholes.
What the Numbers Show
SafeSport has processed more than 14,000 reports of misconduct since its founding, according to the organization's most recent annual report. The center issued approximately 1,800 sanctions against coaches and officials during that period.
The AAU, founded in 1888, operates as a private nonprofit overseeing youth competitions across dozens of sports. The organization claims more than 700,000 athlete members annually. Unlike national governing bodies for individual sports, the AAU is not required to participate in SafeSport's monitoring system, though it has stated publicly that it prohibits individuals on the SafeSport list from its events.
Federal law does not mandate that youth sports organizations check the SafeSport database before hiring coaches or accepting registrations. Only organizations affiliated with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee are formally required to comply with SafeSport rulings.
The Bottom Line
ProPublica is asking readers who know of banned coaches still working with children, have experiences with how youth sports organizations handle abuse allegations, or can share information about coaching misconduct in basketball — where SafeSport has less influence than in other sports — to fill out a confidential questionnaire. The news organization said it takes privacy seriously and will contact individuals before publishing any part of their stories.
The investigation underscores ongoing debates about federal versus organizational responsibility for protecting young athletes. Congress could choose to expand SafeSport's authority or mandate database checks across all youth sports organizations, though such legislation has not yet gained significant momentum in either chamber.