Dozens of schools keep ties to coach accused of sex abuse

CHICAGO — Several dozen colleges have kept ties to an influential volleyball coach long after he was publicly accused of sexually abusing and raping underage girls who trained with him in the 1980s. The coach’s accusers, who have been pressing Michigan State University for months to sever all ties with Rick Butler, said all schools have a moral obligation to end their relationships with him.

The campaign against Butler comes as Michigan State deals with questions about whether it could have done more to thwart Dr. Larry Nassar from abusing scores of young gymnasts over 20 years. In addition, a former dean was recently charged with failing to protect patients from Nassar and sexually harassing female students.

Schools across the nation have engaged with Butler for years by attending his recruiting showcases or playing at his suburban Chicago facilities, which for decades have been a major pipeline for top volleyball recruits and coaches. The annual recruiting events have long been viewed as can’t-miss gatherings by volleyball recruiters. Even after media reports re-examining the sexual abuse allegations, coaches from nearly 50 schools nationwide signed up to attend, including from Oregon State, Colorado, Bucknell and Western Kentucky.

Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin are among the schools that have played exhibitions at Butler’s facilities, which include his 12-court Great Lakes Center. It and his flagship company, Sports Performance Volleyball, are in Aurora, west of Chicago.

Sarah Powers-Barnhard, one of three athletes who first came forward in 1995 to accuse Butler of rape, was among those who argued there’s a special onus on Michigan State in the wake of Nassar to have nothing to do with Butler. And since the allegations are widely known, other schools should also ostracize him.

“Everyone has a moral compass,” she said, explaining her hopes that “these coaches understand that it is high time to stop dealing with him.”

Powers-Barnhard, of Jacksonville, Fla., said Butler molested her hundreds of times over two years starting when she was 16 and he was around 30. She said he raped her at his home, in cars and even in a train-car bathroom as her teammates sat nearby.

Now 63, Butler has never been criminally charged and has denied ever abusing anyone. The alleged abuse occurred more than 30 years ago and already was beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution when the first three accusers came forward in 1995. Three others came forward more recently.

USA Volleyball in December banned Butler from its events for life, citing the allegations, and the Amateur Athletic Union stripped him of his membership this year.

If colleges abandon Butler or the young players he trains, the price will be paid, in part, by girls in his program who are counting on volleyball scholarships, some of which are worth $200,000 or more. It’s a regrettable price, but one that should be paid, said Emily Swanson, a lawyer in Denver who also has spoken out against Butler. The fact that coaches keep going back to Butler gives him his staying power. And even if some players lose scholarship opportunities, refusing to deal with him in any way is “the right thing to do,” she said.