On Tuesday, Scott Shaw, a former Director of Sports Medicine at San Jose State University (SJSU), was found guilty of sexually abusing female student-athletes under the pretense of providing medical treatment. He is sentenced to a two-year prison term, with an additional year of supervised release, a $15,000 fine, and restitution to be determined based on the Department of Justice information.
As a part of the plea deal, Shaw accepted his guilt for infringing the civil rights of four student-athletes on SJSU's women's teams from 2017 to 2020. He confessed to touching their breasts and buttocks unnecessarily and without consent, with no medical justification. This misuse occurred on campus during Shaw's tenure as Director of Sports Medicine and head athletic trainer from 2008 to August 2020. Students trusted Shaw due to his official SJSU athletic trainer status, which allowed him physical interaction with them.
“This sentence should send a clear message that public school officials who exploit their positions of authority to sexually abuse and harass students will face serious consequences for their actions," says Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. She underscores the Justice Department's relentless commitment to fight civil rights violations, especially those perpetrated under false medical treatment by authoritative figures.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins, representing the Northern District of California, concurred with Clarke, emphasizing that Shaw "used his power over female athletes to violate their civil rights by sexually groping them without their consent and without any medical justification." Warning those who might abuse their power over student-athletes, he declared that such felonious assaults are sure to be probed and prosecuted, intending to prevent such future occurrences per the Department of Justice.
