Overview
- A three‑judge panel of the First Appellate District ruled Tuesday that 18 former UC Berkeley swimmers can revive their 2024 lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents.
- The court applied the discovery rule and found a 2022 Orange County Register investigation was the catalyst that led many plaintiffs to realize they had been abused.
- Cal fired Teri McKeever on January 31, 2023 after an outside law firm substantiated dozens of complaints, and McKeever later admitted to emotional and physical abuse in a SafeSport agreement that included suspension and probation.
- The ruling sends the case into discovery, where plaintiffs will seek internal emails, reports and communications that could show whether university officials ignored or enabled the coach's conduct.
- Former swimmers have described severe mental‑health harms, including panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, and the discovery process could determine liability and change how universities handle long‑running abuse claims.