Jury awards $225,000 to girl whom Puyallup coach assaulted, lied about
A Pierce County jury on Friday awarded a $225,000 judgment to a girl who accused a Puyallup youth sports coach of inappropriately touching her and then spreading “untruths” about her when she reported his behavior.
The civil jury found Jonnie Barr and his business, the Puyallup Basketball Academy, negligent in their treatment of the girl.
It also found Barr had assaulted the girl and that he and his wife, Sue Barr, invaded the girl’s privacy by presenting her in a false light, court records show.
The girl, represented by attorney James Beck, argued that the Barrs “engaged in a community-wide marketing effort to minimize the damage to their business” after the girl raised allegations against Jonnie Barr. That included describing the girl as “an awful child with emotional problems,” court records show.
The girl suffered “extreme emotional distress” as a result of those actions, argued Beck, who also represents The News Tribune.
She sued in 2014.
Jonnie Barr was charged in 2012 with fourth-degree assault with sexual motivations for allegedly abusing the girl, now 12, when she attended the basketball academy.
In 2013, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault and received two years’ probation. Prosecutors dropped the sexual motivation allegation as part of the plea deal.
His civil attorneys, Thomas McCurdy and Ashley Nagrodski, argued in their trial brief that their client did not commit the acts alleged and that the girl is doing well.
“The evidence indicates she continues to play basketball at an elite level, is an elite student, and an elite performer in singing, dancing and acting,” their brief states.
Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644, @TNTAdam
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Jury awards $225,000 to girl whom Puyallup coach assaulted, lied about."