A new report from The Orange County Register alleges that USA Water Polo received complaints about former coach Bahram Hojreh at least six months before revoking his membership.
The OC Register report draws from a document in another current lawsuit involving Hojreh. The lawsuit was filed on Monday, and alleges that USA Water Polo didn’t thoroughly investigate the complaints, allowing Hojreh to continue coaching.
The new Register report says that USA Water Polo “received allegations in July 2017 that club players were sexually assaulting players on other teams during games using ‘techniques’ Hojreh taught them.” Yet Hojreh “was not reported and arrested until April 2018,” according to the lawsuit.
The new lawsuit is separate from two previous lawsuits aimed at USA Water Polo. Four former players are suing USA Water Polo and their school district along with their former coaches in two lawsuits, accusing the coaches of grooming and sexually abusing the athletes. Hojreh is accused of sexually assaulting seven girls during one-on-one coaching sessions. He pleaded “not guilty” back in April of last year.
The new lawsuit also alleges that Hojreh was fired as water polo coach at University High School in January of 2017 for similar misconduct.