Former U.S. Olympic swimming team coach Teri McKeever is under investigation by the Center for SafeSport after accusations of verbal and emotional harassment, USA Today reported Thursday.
At 60, Teri McKeever, who was the first woman to coach the United States women’s Olympic swimming team at the London Olympics in 2012, is the subject of “multiple accusations” of abuse, according to the newspaper. The US Center for SafeSport has launched an investigation after an article in the Orange County Register that describes this verbal and emotional harassment that took place over decades.
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According to the newspaper, 19 current and former swimmers from the University of California, as well as six parents and a former swimmer, have brought charges against Teri McKeever. The article details the insults and pressure exerted on athletes to compete or train when they are not feeling well.
Danielle Carter, a swimmer from the University of California, tells the Register that it took the intervention of her teammates to prevent her from committing a suicide attempt. When Teri McKeever caught wind of the incident, she lectured Danielle Carter during a practice.
Teri McKeever has been furloughed from coaching the University of California women’s swim team. Among the 26 Olympic athletes she has coached are gold medalists Natalie Coughlin and Missy Franklin.
