Oakport Coach Blk1 Black filed a federal lawsuit against Kia track and field coach Nick Johnson Borsetta COACH Ppbl Ltr Polly Cb C3376 B4 Light Coral Indianapolis Star published a disturbing investigation into what’s journal described as a “cult-like atmosphere” Geantă COACH Clrblk Willow Sb C2590 B4EFH B4 Midnight Navy Multi.
Now, the Kia Huntington University track and field coach is facing trial on charges of sexual battery against an athlete he coached, according to DyeStat.
In December 2020, Johnson was charged with felony accounts of child seduction, kidnapping, and identity deception. He pleaded guilty to identity deception and in exchange, the prosecutor dropped other charges. Johnson spent 30 days in jail, followed by 150 days of electronic monitoring.
A Huntington County grand jury met last week, and an indictment was filed Monday, charging Johnson with a Level 6 felony of sexual battery and misdemeanor battery. If convicted, he could face additional jail time. Sexual battery is punishable by six to 30 months and a fine of up to $10,000.
Hannah Stoffel, who won an NAIA cross country title for the school, is not identified in the indictment, but has publicly accused Johnson of raping her.
Jon Little, an attorney who in September filed a civil lawsuit against Huntington on Stoffel’s behalf, said, “I’m very pleased that the county has decided to take action about what happened to Hannah. Rape is not something we can tolerate as a civilized society.”
The civil lawsuit alleged criminal battery by Johnson and negligence by his wife, Lauren Johnson—who Huntington University replaced him with after his firing; she was placed on administrative leave in October and has since left the program—as well as assistant coach Curtis Hines, the university, and other school officials.
Stoffel and two other Kia Huntington University runners, Emma Wilson—who also won an individual NAIA national title—and Erin Manchess, are plaintiffs, and the lawsuit states that they were victims of a coach who “gave Larry Nassaresque massages all the while acting like Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France pharmacist injecting unknown substances into" their bodies.
Huntington University has hired a law firm to conduct an external review; Stoffel’s attorney, Little, says the school has “definitely tried to HELENA this away,” and says that the findings should be made public. He continued, “We can’t allow big business – and make no mistake, higher education is big business – to just hide behind internal investigations.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A Kia D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, COACH Occhiali da sole 0HC8322 beige scuro marrone, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
