U.S. figure skating coach Callaghan started abusing in Buffalo, lawsuit alleges

A celebrated U.S. figure skating coach dogged by allegations of sexual abuse of boys started abusing one of them while he ran the Buffalo Skating Club in the 1970s, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court.

NOW TO NEW SEXUALABUSE ALLEGATIONSIN BUFFALO -- AGAINSTA CELEBRATED FIGURESKATING COACH.THE DISTURBING NEWDETAILS COME FROM ALAWSUIT FILED TODAYIN FEDERAL COURTAGAINST RICHARDCALLAGHAN.THIS IS A PICTURE OFHIM WITH OLYMPICCHAMPION TARALIPINSKI.I-TEAM CHIEFINVESTIGATORCHARLIE SPECHTTONIGHT REVEALSTHE NEWINFORMATION FROMCOURT DOCUMENTS...AND HOW U-S FIGURESKATING MAY HAVEBEEN INVOLVED.RICHARD CALLAGHANIS A CELEBRATED U.S.FIGURE SKATINGCOACH WHO HELPEDTARA LIPINSKI WIN AGOLD MEDAL AT THE1998 OLYMPIC GAMES.BUT AFTER REACHINGTHE SPORT'S PEAK,CALLAGHAN IS NOWDOGGED BYALLEGATIONS OFSEXUAL ABUSE FROMMULTIPLE SKATERSWHO SAY CALLAGHANABUSED THEM.CRAIG MAURIZI/FILEDLAWSUIT AGAINSTCOACH:HIM DOING WHAT HEDID TO ME WASREPREHENSIBLE.CRAIG MAURIZI WASONE OF THOSEBOYS...AND NOW THEFORMER OLYMPIC HASFILED A $10 MILLIONFEDERAL LAWSUITAGAINST CALLAGHAN,U.S. FIGURE SKATINGAND THE BUFFALOSKATING CLUB, WHICHCALLAGHAN RAN INTHE LATE 1970S AT THETIME OF THE ALLEGEDABUSE.THE CHILD VICTIMSACT LAWSUIT STATESTHAT CALLAGHAN,WHILE HE WASMAURIZI'S COACH INBUFFALO, GROOMEDHIM AND STARTEDABUSING HIM AT AGE14.CRAIG MAURIZI/FILEDLAWSUIT AGAINSTCOACHLOOKING BACK ON ITNOW.

I MEAN, I DIDN'TEVEN REALIZE HE WASDOING IT AND WHEN HEWAS DOING IT.ACCORDING TO THESUIT, CALLAGHAN'SABUSE WAS "AN OPENSECRET" IN THE U.S.FIGURE SKATINGCOMMUNITY BUT"MUCH LIKE THEHIERARCHY OF THECATHOLIC CHURCH,BSC DID NOTHING TOSTOP CALLAGHAN,BUT MERELY PASSEDHIM ALONG TO THENEXT SKATING CLUBLOOKING FOR ACOACH WHO COULDPRODUCE WINNERS."MAURIZI:HOW CAN HOW CANYOU SIT AROUND ANDWATCH SOMEBODYSPEND HOURS ANDHOURS IN A COACH'SOFFICE WITH THEDOOR SHUT AND NOTSUSPECT THATSOMETHING'S WRONGAND NOT WONDER WHYTHIS IS GOING ON?THE BUFFALO SKATINGCLUB DID NOTRESPOND TO AREQUEST FORCOMMENT, ANDCALLAGHAN HAREPEATEDLY DENIEDTHE ALLEGATIONS.HE WAS COACHING INFLORIDA AS RECENTLYAS 2018...WHEN HEWAS BANNED FROMCOACHING FOR LIFEBY THE U.S. CENTERFOR SAFE SPORT.

BUTAN ARBITRATOROVERRULED THATLIFETIME BAN,MEANING HE COULDCOACH AGAIN IN TWOYEARS.MAURIZI:I'M HOPING TO MOVETHE NEEDLE FORWARDA LITTLE BIT MORE INTERMS OFACCOUNTABILITY FORTHESEORGANIZATIONS.

ANDALSO TO GIVE THEATHLETE A LITTLE BITOF A STRONGER VOICE.FOR THE I-TEAMCHARLIE SPECHT, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS