A California appeals court has allowed a group of former University of California, Berkeley swimmers to proceed with their lawsuit accusing the university of ignoring allegations of abuse against the women’s swimming coach. The ruling, issued Tuesday by a three-judge panel from the First Appellate District, reverses a lower court decision that had dismissed the case on statute of limitations grounds.

The lawsuit, filed in 2024 by 18 former Cal swimmers, alleges that university officials failed to act on repeated reports of misconduct by Teri McKeever, who served as the women’s swimming coach for many years. McKeever was dismissed in January 2023 after an independent investigation commissioned by the university substantiated claims made by dozens of athletes regarding abusive behavior.

Earlier this year, a judge had ruled that some of the alleged abuse occurred outside the allowable time frame for legal claims, leading to the case’s dismissal. However, the appeals court applied the discovery rule, which allows the statute of limitations to be tolled until the plaintiffs become aware that the harm they suffered was linked to wrongdoing. The court cited a 2022 Orange County Register investigation as a turning point that enabled many of the former swimmers to recognize McKeever’s actions as abuse rather than harsh coaching.

The ruling reopens the path for the former athletes to pursue their claims against the University of California Board of Regents, which they contend failed to protect them by enabling McKeever to continue coaching despite longstanding complaints. McKeever’s tenure included leading Cal to four NCAA team championships and coaching the U.S. women’s Olympic swim team in 2012.

The case highlights ongoing questions about institutional accountability in collegiate sports and the handling of abuse allegations. The university has previously expressed commitments to ensuring athlete safety but has not publicly commented on the appeals court decision. The legal battle now resumes, with the potential to shed further light on the university’s response to the allegations and its duty to safeguard its student-athletes.