(NewsNation) — Former competitive swimmer Amanda Lee is suing USA Swimming.
She says Hall of Fame coach Joseph Bernal sexually abused her 15 years ago when she was a minor, and claims USA Swimming and other organizations knew about the abuse but failed to intervene.
“It started when I was 15,” Lee told NewsNation’s “Banfield” exclusively on Monday. “He kissed me after practice and it just went on from there. I felt like I was brainwashed by him and I wanted to be a good swimmer, go to college and get a scholarship, so I wanted to listen to everything he had to say.”
Le is calling for accountability.
“It’s not just about me. They’ve made millions of dollars off of our silence. They’ve never taken responsibility for fostering this culture,” Lee said.
Bernal died in October 2022 and was never criminally charged. Le’s lawyer, John Little, said Bernal’s activities were “normalized and tolerated, especially for a coach who produces medals and prize money.”
“Joseph Bernal is not the only child sexual abuse coach who has escaped justice,” Little told “Banfield.” “There are plenty of coaches who are still in the game because they’re winning.”
The 33-page complaint alleges sexual abuse by Bernal, the former Fordham and Harvard University swimming coach who coached the U.S. at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
Bernal was also named in an August 2021 lawsuit filed by Kimberly Stines, who accused Bernal of emotional and sexual abuse beginning in 1976. USA Swimming is not a defendant in the 2021 lawsuit. Stines joined “Banfield” in recounting her “eerily similar” experiences.
“He started stopping me after practice and kissing me and that went on for a few years. I was so confused. He was the first boy to ever kiss me. I didn’t know how to take it. I think part of the journey made me question if this was love or not,” Stynes said.
