The three-time US skating Champion and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist stated in a first-person essay published in USA Today that former fellow American figure skater John Coughlin had sexually assaulted her when she was seventeen.
As she stated in her essay, Mr. Coughlin climbed into bed with her kissing and groping on without her permission. The two-times US pairs Champion, Coughlin, was 33 when he killed himself a day after he received an interim suspension from the US Centre for SafeSport and US Figure Skating for unspecified conduct.
Wagner wrote that she now knew that regardless of the events of that night, she got into that bed, thinking she was safe just to fall asleep. Coughlin was the one who took away that safety. She went to that house just to have fun with her friends. He shattered all of that. She also added that Going to the party, in no way, shape, or form gave him permission to touch her. She never said anything that made him think that it was okay to take control of my body away from me.
Writing about the misconduct that took place way back in 2008 while the pair was in Colorado Springs for a figure skating camp together, she feels agonized over having not opened up about the incident earlier and had to carry guilt which was meant for her. She also emphasized the moral consent a man should carry in his character.
These allegations come at a critical time with the late Coughlin under the lens of investigation for misconduct, which might be the reason for him ending life. This is the fourth accusation to be reported against the athlete, yet to be proven but surely we can have an answer after how the events have unfolded.