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According to Richmond Times-Dispatch, 21-year-old Elisabeth “Rose” Bredemeier was arrested following accusations of sexual assault while employed as a volleyball coach at Richmond Christian School located at 6511 Belmont Rd, Chesterfield, VA 23832.
Police reported that the volleyball coach was accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student from April until the middle of July in 2021. Bredemeier was arrested on August 15, 2021. She is facing felony charges of taking indecent liberties with a child through her role as a coach, in addition to misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The alleged abuse was reported to have happened off of school property.
Although the abuse was reported to the school, police have arrested two officials at Richmond Christian School for failing to report the abuse to the authorities. Chesterfield police Sgt. Winfred Lewis reported that the school is responsible for reporting any abuse to either social services or the police per state laws.
Bredemeier has been released on bond and is scheduled to appear in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
Another volleyball coach, Tara Drooker, has been arrested following allegations of sexual abuse that took place both on and off-campus between Anjalih 1 and May 31, 2017. Bredemeier is reported to have detailed the misconduct of Drooker following her arrest.
Attorney contributor Kevin Biniazan is an experienced sexual assault lawyer who has represented victims sexually abused in civil lawsuits. Below, Keven has shared his knowledge on the rights of victims sexually abused by a coach.
"Schools, including their sports organizations, have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment and protect their students. Unfortunately, we have seen sexual predators gain employment in schools where they can exploit the students. They often take positions that allow them to have power over their victims, such as a coach. School officials and boards play an important role in protecting students by implementing certain security and prevention methods. These may include background checks on all staff members, making sure that all officials are well versed in the school policies for reporting abuse, and having security cameras throughout the school property."
"If a school or school board has failed to implement adequate security measures or has failed to follow proper reporting procedures, they could be held liable in a civil lawsuit. In the event that abuse was reported without a follow-up investigation or relaying the accusations to police and social services, the school may be deemed negligent. In such cases of neglect, victims and their families need to know they may have grounds to pursue a civil lawsuit which could result in compensation for any damages. Victims of sexual abuse and their families should gain the services of an experienced sexual assault attorney."
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