An underaged volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs is suing the organization after she was impregnated by a coach who worked there who was twice her age. The coach, 32-year-old Corey Collier, was hired by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County despite having a criminal background.
According to a police report, the two met at the Wellington location when the girl, whose name has been redacted from documents, was 16.
Collier and the girl struck up a relationship in April 2014 and exchanged phone numbers. According to a sworn taped statement by the girl, Collier soon visited her home and parked in the driveway. The girl got into the car, where the two had unprotected sex. The following weekend, Collier paid her another visit and she again got into his car, where they drove down the street and had sex. The two got together a third time when Collier sneaked into the girl's home to have sex before she went to school.
According to the probable-cause affidavit, Collier would often call and send text messages to the girl, asking her to send nude photos of herself. He also put his Twitter name, "Sweetdickwillie," into the girl's cell phone, the report says. The girl claims she never did send any photos of herself to him.
According to the civil suit filed in Palm Beach County Court, Collier is listed as a defendant along with the Boys & Girls Club of America and the local Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. The suit says the organization and Collier are liable and allege that their "institutional culture" is what led the girl to do whatever Collier told her to. The girl, the suit claims, was exploited.
Moreover, the suit claims that the Boys & Girls Club failed to properly vet Collier before hiring him.
The lawsuit mentions several examples of criminal acts by Boys & Girls Club employees after they were hired without proper background checks, such as when a mentor at a Texas location was charged with sexual assault. Another example cited in the suit was a lawsuit filed in 2012 by two Chicago teens who claimed they were talked into having sex with a Boys & Girls Club worker who also had a criminal background and had been arrested more than 20 times.
Just last week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County released a statement on the current lawsuit:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is aware of the litigation concerning former employee Mr. Corey Collier and cannot comment on pending litigation.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s primary concern is the safety and well-being of the young people we serve and conducts criminal background checks on all employees and volunteers prior to their involvement with young people. The organization does not tolerate illegal or inappropriate activity or behavior on the part of any staff, volunteer or youth members. All facilities are safe and secure.
Mr. Collier was terminated and is barred from any access to Boys & Girls Clubs facilities and programs.
Collier, who is currently facing three felony counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, confessed to having sex with the teen to police after she had found out she was pregnant and told police in June 2014 that Collier was the father. The report says the teen found out she was pregnant in May 2014, about a month after the two met. The pregnancy was aborted, according to the report,
Boys and Girls Police Report by Chris Joseph
