Rebecca Wang Investigation: Galic Sisters Allege Emotional Abuse Against USF Coach Molly Goodenbour

Overview

Rebecca Wang's investigation details the experiences of twin sisters Marta and Marija Galic, who filed a lawsuit against their former basketball coach, Molly Goodenbour, and the University of San Francisco (USF), alleging emotional abuse. The case highlights significant concerns regarding athlete well-being and institutional accountability in collegiate sports.

Allegations and Incidents

Marta Galic reported experiencing significant stress before basketball practices at USF. During a drill in her freshman year, Galic stated she requested to use the restroom multiple times. Coach Molly Goodenbour and an assistant coach reportedly instructed her to finish the drill, leading Galic to lose bladder control. Galic reported that Goodenbour then denied her request to clean herself. Goodenbour later stated she was unaware of the incident at the time and that players were permitted to use the restroom.

Both sisters stated that their relationship with Coach Goodenbour negatively impacted their experience. Marta testified that Goodenbour used derogatory language towards her, including "lazy" and "worthless." Former player Leilah Herrera also stated in a deposition that insults occurred regularly during practice.

At the end of their freshman season, the sisters secretly recorded their performance reviews. In Marta's recording, Goodenbour stated she would revoke Marta's scholarship for quitting, a practice not permitted by NCAA rules for performance or injury. In Marija's recording, Goodenbour questioned Marija's desirability as a teammate in drills.

Goodenbour maintained in legal filings that her comments pertained to basketball performance and were not personal. She testified to addressing player performance and effort during drills, denying the use of derogatory names. Regarding Marta's incident, Goodenbour expressed regret that it occurred.

Impact and Medical Findings

Marija experienced mental health difficulties during her time at USF, including panic attacks, nightmares, and depression, which she reported worsened in Goodenbour's presence. Legal complaints document two mental health crises during her sophomore and junior years.

An expert witness psychiatrist concluded that both sisters developed "physiological and psychological responses to the trauma," including Marta's bathroom trips and Marija's depressive symptoms, and attributed their psychiatric illness to Coach Goodenbour's treatment.

Systemic Accountability Challenges

Research indicates that emotional abuse is experienced by athletes more frequently than other forms of harm, yet established protocols for addressing it are less common compared to those for physical or sexual abuse. The NCAA lacks a specific emotional abuse policy, assigning primary responsibility for athlete safety to individual schools. SafeSport primarily routes emotional and physical misconduct allegations to national governing bodies, which may lack resources for thorough investigation.

The Galic sisters and their father reported Goodenbour's behavior to USF staff. An internal investigation led by Diane Nelson, then-assistant vice president of human resources, concluded in December 2019 that Goodenbour had not violated USF policies. Sports attorney Martin Greenberg stated that universities investigating their own employees presents an inherent conflict of interest and recommended external, independent investigators.

Coach's History

Goodenbour faced prior accusations of similar conduct at California State University, Chico, and the University of California, Irvine. At UC Irvine, she was suspended in 2012 for a pattern of "insensitive and abusive remarks." The USF hiring committee did not investigate these prior allegations before offering her the head coach position.

Legal Outcome

A jury ruled in July 2023 that Goodenbour intended to cause harm or acted with reckless disregard for both sisters' well-being. However, the jury found Goodenbour's actions caused severe emotional distress only to Marija. Marija was initially awarded $250,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages from Goodenbour and USF for gross negligence. USF successfully moved to rescind Marija's punitive damages, but an appellate panel later restored the full award. A re-trial was granted for Marta's case, which led to a settlement between Marta, USF, and Goodenbour last month.

Post-USF Paths

Marija left the team after her junior year, graduating with an architecture degree. She now resides in New York City and states she no longer plays basketball. Marta graduated early from USF with a finance degree and transferred to Tulane University, where she continued playing basketball under Coach Lisa Stockton. Marta reported a positive experience and renewed enjoyment for the sport at Tulane.

Goodenbour's contract was renewed through the 2028 season, and she continues to coach at USF alongside associate head coach Jones. USF stated in February that it continues to stand by the coaches and staff of the women's basketball program.