Olympic Gymnastics Coach Accused Of Sex Abuse Resigns
HUNTINGTON BEACH (AP) — A former Olympic gymnastics coach facing allegations of sexual abuse resigned Tuesday from his coaching and director positions at a prominent Orange County club.
Don Peters, who coached the 1984 U.S. women's Olympic team, resigned from SCATS, according to The Orange County Register.
The resignation comes after the newspaper's investigation last month alleging sexual and physical abuse of underage gymnasts. More than a dozen former gymnasts told the newspaper stories of abuse.
In a Sept. 25 Register story, Doe Yamashiro, a former U.S. national team and SCATS member, said Peters began fondling her in 1986, when she was 16 years old, and had sexual intercourse with her a year later.
Peters declined to comment to The Register.
A Nov. 11 hearing has been scheduled in Indianapolis by gymnastics' national governing body to decide whether Peters should be banned from the sport.
Peters led the U.S. women's team to a record eight medals in the 1984 Olympics.
The alleged abuse took place in the 1980s and can't be prosecuted under California law because the statute of limitation has expired.
Two other U.S. gymnastics coaches, Doug Boger and Michael Zapp, have either been dismissed or terminated from coaching roles after allegations of sexual and physical abuse surfaced in the newspaper.
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