A high-profile junior volleyball coach accused of sexually abusing players back in the '80s has been banned, again, from the USA Volleyball Association.
Rick Butler - the coach First Coast News has been covering for months - was first banned for life by the organization back in 1995 following allegations that he sexually abused high-school girls who played for his Chicago-area volleyball club.
He was never charged with a crime and he was able to rejoin five years later under the condition that he couldn't coach girls teams.
Sarah Powers-Barnhard, a Jacksonville volleyball coach, went to Denver this week to testify before USA Volleyball Association's Ethics and Eligibility Committee.
Powers-Barnhard is one of the women who said in a lawsuit that Butler sexually abused her while he was her coach and she was his star player. She originally testified during the 90s hearing, as well.
"It was less about 1995 and what happened to us back then, but more about new allegations and moving forward type of situations that they're looking at right now," Powers-Barnhard said. "It was supposed to be time for them to ask questions and Rick Butler was going to have his attorney and his witnesses, and he chose not to come."
Butler told First Coast News he was kicked out of the organization for violating what he calls an "unknown rule" when he filed a lawsuit against USA Volleyball in December.
"I have been attacked in the media by a group of individuals that are attempting to destroy my business and reputation by inventing allegations against me from over 30 years ago," Butler said. "I refused to allow those accusations to go unanswered and for that, USA Volleyball has determined that I deserve to be expelled."
Powers-Barnhard - who has filed a lawsuit against the AAU, a different volleyball organization that is allowing him to continue coach girls - said she is glad to see him banned for life by USA Volleyball but wants to see more done.
"Being banned on a technicality is not as comforting as I need this stuff to be done," she said. "I need to know he's banned for life on abuse because that also leads me to continue my lawsuit and putting pressure on the AAU to also ban him. In my opinion, that's the next step because he's still coaching young, underage girls and that needs to stop."
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First Coast News reached out to the USA Volleyball Association, but we have not heard back from them.
Below is the full statement from Butler to First Coast News:
"On December 11, 2017, USA Volleyball indicated that I was banned from its organization for life. This expulsion by USA Volleyball was based on a determination by USA Volleyball that I violated some unknown rule when I filed a lawsuit against USA Volleyball in December 2016 and when I defended myself against baseless accusations that were made against me to the Chicago Sun Times. According to USA Volleyball's decision, it apparently believes that it has the power to suppress its members' speech and prevent them from making public statements in their own defense. I have been attacked in the media by a group of individuals that are attempting to destroy my business and reputation by inventing allegations against me from over 30 years ago. I refused to allow those accusations to go unanswered and for that, USA Volleyball has determined that I deserve to be expelled. Apparently, USA Volleyball falsely believes that its authority exceeds that of the U.S. Constitution.
USA Volleyball has now decided that despite already banning me for life that it is going to hold a second hearing against me to somehow ban me from the organization for a second time. This decision serves no practical purpose given that I am not a member of USA Volleyball and neither myself or the Sports Performance girls teams have even participated in a single USA Volleyball event since 2007.
When USA Volleyball first filed a complaint against me a year ago, I immediately scheduled and passed a polygraph examination that demonstrated that the accusations were false. Despite that, USA Volleyball refuses to consider the polygraph results or affidavits of former players contradicting the allegations from the 1980's, yet they are willing to accept hearsay testimony from individuals who have repeatedly made false accusations against me. USA Volleyball, through its actions, has indicated that it has no intention of providing me with a fair and impartial hearing or the opportunity to adequately defend myself at the hearing. I will not participate in what will clearly be a sham hearing, where my guilt has already been predetermined, with an organization that I am no longer a member, to defend myself against 30+ year old baseless accusations."
USA Volleyball released a statement on Wednesday, January 10:
A hearing panel of the USA Volleyball Ethics and Eligibility Committee today issued a decision finding that Rick Butler had engaged in multiple acts in violation of USA Volleyball’s Bylaws, and banned him for life from membership in USA Volleyball. USA Volleyball had received allegations of misconduct and abuse against Mr. Butler from a number of individuals, including several former players, which led USA Volleyball to bring a disciplinary action against Mr. Butler for violation of USA Volleyball’s Bylaws and rules. A hearing was held on those allegations on January 8, 2018. Since Mr. Butler is now suspended for life, this means that he is ineligible to participate, and will forever be ineligible to participate, in any activities organized, operated, run or sanctioned by USA Volleyball.
"We are very grateful to the courageous women who came forward," said Lori Okimura, Chair of the USA Volleyball Board of Directors. "USA Volleyball is committed, through the U.S. Center for SafeSport program, to ridding our sport of coaches and others who engage in hurtful actions against athletes and young people. We will continue to have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior."