Orange County Water Polo Coach Convicted of Sexual Assault

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, a well-known Orange County water polo coach was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 teenage girls over several years. The coach is Bahram Hojreh, age 46, from Irvine, California, was found guilty of 22 felony counts, which included sexual battery, sexual penetration, and lewd acts on a child, according to the Orange County D.A.’s Office. He was a coach at both the International Water Polo Club in Los Alamitos and at Kennedy High School in La Palma.

Hojreh has been convicted of assaulting nine water polo players – all teenagers ranging from age 13 to 17 – from 2012 to 2017. There was also a tenth victim who was assaulted over this five year period.

According to reports, the assaults occurred underwater during training sessions at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California. The assaults occurs in front of parents, who were watching from the poolside; parents were unaware because the assaults occurred underwater.

Unfortunately, sexual assault is very common in sports. If you or your child suffered sexual assault at the hands of a coach, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Based on the details surrounding the incident and the harm suffered, it is likely that you have grounds to file a lawsuit and potentially recover compensation. For more information about the legal options available to you and your family, do not hesitate to contact the experts here at our law firm immediately.

Sexual Assault and the Devastating Harm Victims Can Suffer

Sexual assault can be defined as any unwanted sexual conduct, including but not limited to fondling, groping, penetration, etc. Many people mistakenly believe that sexual assault is only rape, but that is not the case. Sexual assault, no matter the specific attack suffered, can have life long consequences. Some of which can include the following:

• Physical injuries (including injuries to genitals and reproductive organs)
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Mental and emotional harm, like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder

Unfortunately, many victims of sexual assault suffer for many years – some of them for their entire lives. Although filing a lawsuit and recovering compensation is not a solution for the trauma experienced during a sexual assault at the hands of someone that you trusted, pursuing legal action can ensure that the liable party and entities are held accountable.

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Your Right to Sue

Do you have the right to file a lawsuit? Yes – you could file a lawsuit for sexual assault. Of course, if you are the parent of a child you was sexually assaulted, you could file a lawsuit on behalf of your child. However, if you were a victim of sexual assault as a child (i.e., you were under the age of eighteen at the time of the assault), then you could file a lawsuit yourself as an adult.

Your right to sue is based on the fact that an entity had a duty of care towards you (or the victim) but failed to keep you safe. When it comes to sexual assault at schools or in sports establishments, liability can be traced back to a few things, including negligent hiring, negligent training, and negligent supervision, for example. With schools, specifically, the district has a duty to ensure that all hires – including teachers, coaches, and all other school staff – are cleared to work with children. Besides performing background checks, they must ensure that all employees are well-trained and supervised whenever with children. Unfortunately, sexual assault can usually be attributed to the failures of the school, including failing to properly screen, train, supervise, or even respond to suspicions, allegations, or reports of sexual assault.

If you or your child suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a coach, you could definitely have grounds to file a lawsuit. For more information about the legal options available to you, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts here at our law firm immediately.

The Statute of Limitations to Sue for Sexual Assault

All claims are subject to a statute of limitations – or a deadline to sue. When claimants fail to file their claims on time, they could lose their right to sue entirely, even if their claim would have been valid. Unfortunately, many people who have suffered sexual abuse do not file their lawsuits because they believe that they have already missed the time to sue. For sexual assault cases, the deadline that applies is much longer than any other type of injury claim.

For sexual assault claims, the following deadlines apply:

• If your sexual assault occurred when you were already over 18-years-old, your claim will be subject to a 10-year statute of limitations, so you will have a total of 10 years to file your claim.
• If your sexual assault occurred as a child, at any age under 18, your claim will be subject to a 22-year statute of limitations that starts after you turn 18, so you will have until the age of 40 to file your claim.

For more information about the total length of time that you have to file your sexual assault case, do not hesitate to contact the experts here at our law firm immediately.

Contact the Experts at the Normandie Law Firm Today

If you were the victim of sexual assault at the hands of a coach, you could have the right to sue and recover compensation, including compensation for medical costs, mental health care, pain and suffering, punitive damages, and legal fees, for example. Here at our law firm, our experts are ready to do whatever it takes to fight for your rights and help you recover the highest settlement available for your lawsuit. Our experts have decades of experience handling all sorts of claims and are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for your rights and recover the settlement that you are owed.

We offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our expert attorneys will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to begin or continue your sexual assault case. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us immediately. We offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, so you will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. In addition, our firm works on a strict contingency structure; therefore, you will not be required to pay anything until after winning your claim. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay anything.

If you are ready to explore your legal options after suffering sexual assault, do not hesitate to contact the experts here at our law firm immediately. Our lawyers are more than ready to guide you every step of the way.