A wave of Kentucky college coaches accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with players and other students led The Courier Journal to investigate how common such cases are in the commonwealth and what is being done to stop them.
Through an extensive search of news reports and court records, the newspaper found at least 80 cases of alleged child sexual misconduct by middle and high school coaches in Kentucky over the past 15 years.
The Courier Journal also found that efforts to curb the problem through better education for students and more accountability for coaches and other school staff have routinely failed by lawmakers in Frankfort.
And this is happening while many other states are adopting prevention measures.
Our four-part Silence & Secrets investigation focuses on cases across the Commonwealth – from Prestonsburg to Paducah, and Louisville in between.
Sexual abuse by coaches is a national problem, but also a national problem, which thrives on the silence of children and the secrets of the perpetrators.
This project is available to subscribers of The Courier Journal. To watch Silence & Secrets, click here to subscribe.
This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Courier Journal Silence & Secrets investigates child abuse by coaches
