A woman broke her silence about a decades-old sex abuse scandal allegedly involving a prominent D.C.-area swim coach.
Kelley Currin, 43, began swimming with the Curl-Burke Swim Club at the Georgetown Prep pool in North Bethesda, Md., when she was 9. She says she was sexually abused beginning when she was 13, The Washington Post first reported.
Currin, who now lives in Texas, said she eventually told some people, including her parents, and at age 19, Currin signed a non-disclosure agreement, saying she would not press charges or talk about the matter publicly in exchange for a $150,000 settlement with club founder Rick Curl.
“I know what I know, and the truth will set you free, and I was bound for 23 years, six months and however many days, and I’m free,” Currin told News4.
The accusations have come to the attention of USA Swimming, the governing body of competitive swimming.
“My cry is just to make one mother, one father, raise their eyebrow at a situation in between the coach-athlete relationship,” Currin said.
Curl-Burke, which has about 950 members and uses 11 pools throughout the area as training facilities, released a statement saying Rick Curl has taken a leave of absence and the club is committed to USA Swimming policies about athlete protection and safety.
Curl, a former member of the U.S. Olympic Team staff who has coached dozens of area swimmers to national and international competition, could not be reached for comment.
“If my coming out and talking about this changes one life, then my life has made a difference,” Currin said
She said her love for her former swim club and its kids remains intact.
