Nina Flynn: Irate teammates rally behind UC Irvine sophomore accused of molesting rivals in water polo game
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: A 21-year-old UC Irvine sophomore, Elena "Nina" Flynn, has been accused of molesting and touching two of her rivals' intimate body parts inappropriately during a water polo game against Loyola Marymount (LMU) last month on February 16 where Nina scored four goals helping her team win by 11-8. Nina is now being investigated but her teammates claim that the allegations are false.
After receiving complaints from two LMU players, UC Irvine suspended the player on February 23, reported Daily Mail. However, the suspension was lifted on March 10. But now, the case is being investigated by UCI Title IX office, which regulates sex-based discrimination in sports. As per the outlet, the women who have accused Nina have not been named yet. Alison P Saros, Nina's attorney, told The Orange County Register, "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 said to show support to Nina, Anteater players refused to play in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, one of the biggest events on the women’s college water polo calendar, which was held from February 24 to 26.
READ MORE
'Send them back': Outrage after four teen asylum seekers arrested over rape of girl, 15, in school
Who is Nina Flynn?
Nina, who is the older sister of Stanford and US national team player Jenna Flynn and did her graduation in business administration, has received an honorable mention All-American in 2022, among others. She was named as the Big West Player of the Week after leading the Anteaters to a 1-1 record after facing two top-10 opponents, reports UC Irvine Sports. As per her LinkedIn profile, she has been the representative of NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee since August 2019 and is also the coach Social Water Polo Foundation Inc.
GoFundMe page to raise funds to support Nina's legal expenses
A parent of one of Nina's UCI teammates, David Tedesco, has also started a GoFundMe page to raise funds to support her legal expenses. He wrote, "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. There are no exceptions. With a definition so broad, every water polo game, male or female, is full of such Title IX violations." And continued, "Based upon these accusations, UCI could expel Nina from UCI and refer the matter for a 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."
The page further read, "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. 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." The page has raised $27,565 when this article was published.