Paralympic Gold Medalist Accused Of Raping, Abusing Swim Teammate

A two-time Paralympic gold medalist groomed and sexually abused an intellectually disabled teammate at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado, according to a disturbing lawsuit that further accuses sports officials of ignoring complaints and warning signs.

The suit alleges that swimmer Robert Griswold “maliciously targeted and groomed” fellow athlete Parker Egbert, securing his and his parents’ trust before repeatedly raping Egbert while they roomed together in the Olympic Village and later in Colorado.

Egbert required surgery and continuous medical care following the sexual assaults, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for Colorado.

“This case is a horrific tragedy, where a young man who defied all odds to become a world-class Paralympic swimmer had his life utterly shattered by rape and abuse when he was paired with a team member who was a violent sexual predator,” the 63-page complaint states.

Griswold, seen during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is accused of grooming his younger teammate and then sexually assaulting him.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit that works to prevent abuse and misconduct in Olympic and Paralympic sports, are also named defendants in the suit.

Griswold and both organizations did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment Monday.

The organizations are accused of allowing the abuse by ignoring earlier reports that Griswold, now 25, had sexually assaulted other teammates prior to rooming with Egbert, now 19, in 2021.

“Defendants USOPC and SafeSport had actual knowledge of multiple prior instances, or at minimum credible allegations, of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse perpetrated by Griswold, yet turned a blind eye and/or conspired to cover-up such allegations, on each occasion,” the suit states.

Once behind closed doors, Griswold allegedly raped, bullied and verbally and physically abused Egbert, who is described as having the mental capacity of a 5-year-old, while threatening that if he told anyone, Egbert “would get in trouble” and “the police would come.”

Another athlete, who was not identified in the suit, allegedly witnessed some of the physical, verbal and sexual assaults in 2021 and punched a wall in anger. The abuse was not reported, however, because Griswold reported the alleged witness’ outburst and got them into trouble, according to the suit.

It wasn’t until late spring of 2022, after Egbert wrote a story about “a powerful hurricane called Hurricane Robert,” that his parents said they began to learn about the abuse. The teen told his parents that the “monster” in his story was Griswold and that Griswold had been hurting him, though he didn’t initially describe the abuse as sexual, according to the suit.

Egbert’s parents said they expressed their concerns to USOPC but that Griswold was not investigated by the committee, which assured them that Egbert was fine and that Griswold posed no risk. Later, when Egbert was on a video call with his mom, he broke down crying, detailing some of the physical abuse, according to the lawsuit.

“When she asked Plaintiff if he was okay, he immediately shook his head ‘no’ and began to cry uncontrollably. Plaintiff then told his mother that Defendant Griswold had shaken him violently, causing him to hit his head on the wall,” the suit states.

Egbert’s parents contacted the coach of U.S. Paralympics Swimming and demanded that he file a report with SafeSport. After the coach filed the report, Egbert’s parents said, their son shared more graphic details about the abuse he had endured, prompting them to remove him from the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

“Plaintiff’s parents sat and listened to their son describe outrageous conduct that would horrify any parent,” the suit states. “Since his return home, Plaintiff has continuously told his parents ‘thank you for saving me from’ Griswold, however, to this day, Plaintiff remains fearful that Griswold ‘knows where they live’ and ‘is going to kill [him].’”

Griswold was suspended from Olympic training and competing events in August 2022 and later removed as a member of the 2022 National Team, according to the suit.

A USOPC spokesperson told The Washington Post that it has placed two staff members on administrative leave following the complaint and has stopped the work of several contractors with U.S. Paralympics Swimming.

“We’re also continuing our investigation of the allegations to help us determine the facts, and we are committed to taking appropriate action,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Colorado Springs Police Department has also confirmed to The Post that it has an “open and active investigation” related to Griswold.

Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.