Failure to properly screen a Sunnyvale soccer coach resulted in the sexual abuse of a then-13-year old girl. The U.S. Youth Soccer Association and its Northern California affiliate recently agreed to pay $8.2 million to settle the former players lawsuit. The settlement has been called one of the largest of its kind and attorney Stephen J. Estey hopes it sends a message to sports leagues about their duty to protect the children in their care. A domestic violence conviction would have been revealed had a background check been properly conducted. The coach, Emanuele Fabrizio, pleaded guilty in 2012 to one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child and one count of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14.
