Nina Flynn, a female water polo player at UC-Irvine, has been accused of molesting members of opposite team during a match held in February, this year. Following the accusations, Flynn has been placed under investigation by the authorities.
Flynn Was Accused by Two Rival Team Members
In the incident which took place during a match against Loyola Marymount on February 16, Lynn was accused by two unnamed members of the rival team of inappropriately touching their private parts during the match. Flynn contributed largely towards her team's 11-8 win over Loyola Marymount by scoring 4 points.
The Daily Mail reported that as per University's Title IX regulations prohibits the intentional touching of a complainant's intimate body parts without consent. These include the genitals, anus, groin, breast and buttocks.
Following the accusations, Flynn was briefly suspended by the University. The suspension was lifted on March 10, even though Flynn remains under investigation being conducted by Title IX department.
As per the outlet, in a statement issued to the Register, Flynn's attorney, Alison P. Saros, denied the allegations against her client.
"Nina maintains she is not responsible in any way for the allegations and that after with [the] Title IX [office] and film analysis and other evidence presented the suspension was lifted and she was allowed to return to the pool while the investigation continues," the attorney told the outlet.
Teammates Stand by Flynn
Flynn's teammates have launched a GoFundMe page for the water polo player. According to New York Post the GoFundMe page states: "A violation under the applicable Title IX Regulations only requires the intentional touching of a Complainant's intimate body part(s) without consent, whether clothed or unclothed. An intimate body part is defined as the genitals, anus, groin, breast, or buttocks."
"Based upon these accusations, UCI could expel Nina from UCI and refer the matter for criminal prosecution or exclude her from the UCI women's water polo team, among other sanctions. In addition to the 2023 season, Nina has two more seasons of NCAA eligibility left."
"Nina and the rest of the UCI women's water polo team vehemently deny these accusations and are determined to not only fight for Nina's innocence, but also for the integrity of water polo," the page continues.
"If a Title IX investigation becomes the forum for alleged game time transgressions, chaos to all water polo programs will result. The legal defense of a Title IX claim is a highly specialized field of law, and the Flynn family has hired legal counsel to defend against these false accusations," read the page.
