A group of former UC Berkeley swimmers who accused the school of ignoring years of heinous abuse allegations against its once-celebrated women’s swimming coach have won a major legal reversal.

A California appeals court ruled Tuesday that 18 former Cal Golden Bears swimmers can move forward with their lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents.

The swimmers sued in 2024, claiming university officials turned a blind eye to years of alleged abuse by longtime women’s swimming coach Teri McKeever, who was fired in January 2023 after an outside law firm substantiated claims from dozens of athletes.

The case was tossed in June 2024 after a judge found the statute of limitations had expired, since some of the allegations dated too far back.

But a three-judge panel from the First Appellate District of California ruled the lawsuit can proceed under the discovery rule, which can pause the clock until plaintiffs reasonably learn they were harmed by alleged wrongdoing.

The court found that a 2022 Orange County Register investigation was the catalyst for many of the former swimmers to realize McKeever’s alleged conduct was not simply hard coaching, but alleged abuse.

“Plaintiffs acknowledge that while they were on the team, they knew they were suffering due to McKeever’s coaching,” the decision reads.

“But plaintiffs argue they did not know McKeever’s conduct was anything other than legitimate, challenging coaching. That is, they did not know McKeever had committed any wrongdoing.”

The panel also pointed to the power dynamic between coaches and athletes, noting it “makes it difficult for athletes to realize they are victims of abuse,” according to the report.

The ruling marks a huge twist in the legal fight against the university, which former swimmers claim allowed McKeever to remain in charge despite years of complaints.

McKeever had been one of the most powerful figures in women’s swimming, leading Cal to four NCAA team titles and coaching the 2012 US Olympic women’s team. She was the first woman to serve as head coach of a US Olympic swimming team.

But a Southern California News Group investigation in 2022 exposed a much different picture of the program — with 19 current and former swimmers, six parents, and a former member of the men’s team describing McKeever as a bully who allegedly verbally and emotionally abused athletes for years.

Danielle Carter one of the swimmers who later sued, said McKeever accused her of lying about having epilepsy and screamed at her at practices, calling her “lazy,” “worthless,” “a waste of time” and “a piece of s**t.”

Carter, now 25, said the alleged treatment left her unable to eat, sleep or focus in class, and led to near-daily panic attacks and increased seizures.

“Teri made me feel so little,” Carter recalled, “and I didn’t want to feel like that anymore.”

Carter said she became suicidal during her freshman year and later claimed McKeever laughed after learning she had considered taking her own life.

“Do you know how pathetic that is? How stupid that is? How selfish that is?” Carter recalled McKeever saying.

Carter described her experience as feeling like she was “no longer a human being” and “property for Teri to use at her disposal.”

She then transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara after leaving the women’s swimming program at Cal, stating at the time: “I am continuing to swim and search for a better swimming and academic program that will fit me and that I can contribute to.”

Other former swimmers also said that McKeever’s alleged bullying pushed them into severe mental distress.

“I didn’t want to exist in a world where I had to see Teri every day,” former Cal swimmer Chenoa Devine said. “I didn’t want to be alive. I didn’t want to exist.”

The SCNG investigation also alleged that McKeever pressured swimmers to train or compete while injured or dealing with chronic illnesses, including epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, concussions, broken bones and eating disorders.

Former Cal swimmer Chloe Clark said McKeever dismissed her Crohn’s disease symptoms and once told her, “No one died from swimming with a stomach ache, get in the water,” before Clark later underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Swimmers also alleged that McKeever threw kickboards and water bottles, used profanities, body-shamed athletes and targeted one or two swimmers each year for regular verbal abuse.

Cal fired McKeever on Jan. 31, 2023, after an outside investigation substantiated claims from dozens of swimmers that she had abused athletes for years.

In 2023, McKeever admitted to emotionally and physically abusing Cal swimmers for more than 20 years as part of a US Center for SafeSport agreement.

She agreed to a three-month suspension from US Olympic and Paralympic events and was placed on 12 months of probation.

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