SEATTLE — Olympic swimmer Ariana Kukors Smith has sued USA Swimming, alleging the sport's national governing body knew her former coach sexually abused her as a minor and covered it up.
RELATED: Champion swimmer accuses coach of underage sex abuse
Kukors Smith filed the lawsuit Monday in Superior Court in Orange County, California. She accuses Sean Hutchison of grooming her for sexual abuse when she was 13, starting to touch and kiss her when she was 16 and engaging in sexual activity when she was 17.
He began coaching her at a swim club near Seattle.
RELATED: Lawyer for Ariana Kukors says there are ‘over a hundred Larry Nassars in swimming’
Kukors Smith also is suing longtime Olympic coach Mark Schubert, saying he failed to report "a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or endangerment."
"This lawsuit is about holding responsible those who knew there was underage abuse taking place and did nothing to stop it while going out of their way to protect my abuser," said Kukors Smith. "Those at USA Swimming need to change the culture of protecting predator coaches over young and vulnerable athletes such as myself. To turn your back on children you have reason to know are being sexually abused because of sponsorship money is inexcusable."
RELATED: For first time, Olympic swimmer speaks publicly about swim coach's alleged sex abuse
Hutchison, who has denied the allegations, faced an investigation by USA Swimming in 2010 over his ties to Kukors but it was closed with no misconduct found. He has not been charged with a crime.
Kukors Smith was the 2009 world champion in the 200-meter individual medley who placed fifth in that event in the 2012 Olympics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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