Former Figure Skating Coach for Team USA Star Amber Glenn Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges
Benjamin Shroats, the former figure skating coach of Team USA gold medalist Amber Glenn, has been arrested in northern Texas on sexual misconduct charges involving two athletes in his care. The 47-year-old faces one count of indecency with a child and one count of sexual assault, according to authorities.
Investigation and Charges
The Allen Police Department stated that the investigation began on February 15 after a report was filed alleging Shroats had engaged in inappropriate relationships with two of his athletes. One of these relationships reportedly began when the athlete was a minor. Shroats was booked into the Collin County Jail, with court records indicating his $200,000 bond conditions prohibit him from coaching and having contact with the alleged victims' families.
Scott Edgett, Shroats' attorney, responded to the allegations, saying, "Mr. Shroats unequivocally denies the allegations against him. Criminal charges are accusations and not findings of guilt." He added that Shroats has been a well-respected figure skating coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth community for 30 years and that they will not litigate the matter through media commentary out of respect for the judicial process.
Connection to Amber Glenn
Shroats coached at the Dallas Figure Skating Club in Allen and is best known for coaching Amber Glenn, a 26-year-old Plano native who recently competed at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. Glenn won gold as part of the team competition but finished 13th in her solo event. Shroats joined her coaching team when she was nine years old.
In a 2014 interview with Figure Skaters Online, while still a junior skater, Glenn described Shroats as "like my rink dad or big brother, making sure I stay on track." She noted, "While he can be relaxed and chilled, he can also turn up the heat when needed. I can completely rely on him to be organized and consistent." Glenn is now coached by Damon Allen and Tammy Gambill.
Club Response and Broader Context
In a letter to members of the Dallas Figure Skating Club, obtained by NBC 5, club president Mary Pottenger addressed the situation, stating, "We want our families to know we take concerns involving our members and the adult coaches who train them very seriously." She clarified that the club does not hire or supervise private coaches who work with its skaters.
Glenn's Olympic performance this week was met with criticism from some conservatives, who took issue with her previous comments speaking out against former President Donald Trump's administration. She had stated that America's LGBTQ+ community was having "a hard time" due to his policies on gender. This has sparked debate about patriotism, with Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons remarking, "There is nothing more patriotic than questioning your own country when its leadership makes decisions that are so sharply out of line with our values and traditions."
The case against Shroats remains under investigation, with no further comments from his attorney at this time.
