Sexual harassment in sports: protections and how to report it

It is the legal framework protecting any athlete — regardless of age, sex or disability — against sexual harassment within the sports environment, which now expressly includes physical spaces and also virtual ones: online training, sports residences and camps.

It protects any athlete participating in an organized sports activity in Puerto Rico. The obligations around protocols, background checks, accreditation and registration apply to any sports entity — club, league, federation or recreation center — that receives public funds, sponsorships or endorsements, or that uses public sports facilities.

• Every sports entity that receives public funds, sponsorships, endorsements or uses public facilities must have a valid DRD Organization Accreditation, renewable each year through a sworn declaration of no sexual-harassment history.Verified against the official source
• Every sports entity must adopt and disclose an anti-harassment protocol, and publish it prominently on its website and social media.Verified against the official source
• Every entity must investigate criminal history related to sexual offenses, including the sex-offender registry, before hiring job candidates or contractors. It cannot hire people convicted of sexual offenses or listed on the offender registry.Verified against the official source

• To file a complaint through the DRD's confidential channel, no formal document list is published: the mechanism is designed to receive complaints from victims, witnesses or anyone connected to sports.

1. 1

   Step 1: Identify whether the conduct is harassment under this law

   Harassment is any voluntary, intentional action, physical, psychological, cyber or social, that frightens, intimidates or bothers an athlete. Sexual harassment is any unwanted explicit or implicit sexual approach, which can include requesting sexual favors or physical or cyber contact, including when it is demanded as a condition for participating in the sports activity.

2. 2

   Step 2: Use the DRD's confidential complaint channel

   The Department of Recreation and Sports has, within its institutional web portal, a publicly accessible digital channel for filing complaints confidentially. Victims, witnesses or anyone connected to sports can use it. Complaints are automatically referred to the competent authorities and your identity's confidentiality is guaranteed.

3. 3

   Step 3: Check whether the sports entity knew and failed to act

   The sports entity is civilly liable if it, its agents or supervisors knew or should have known of the conduct — knowledge is imputed upon any notification, formal or informal, made by athletes, parents, coaching staff, officials or third parties — and did not take immediate and appropriate corrective action.

4. 4

   Step 4: Know the civil compensation available

   Anyone responsible for harassment in the sports environment must pay double the damages caused to the athlete, or at least $10,000 at the court's discretion if damages cannot be determined, plus attorney's fees and costs. Administrative remedies do not need to be exhausted before going to court.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check the entity's accreditation in the Compliance Registry

   The DRD publishes quarterly, on its portal, an updated list of which sports entities have complied with their protocol and certification obligations, which are in process, and which have been suspended.

Confidential complaints are filed through the digital channel within the Department of Recreation and Sports's institutional web portal. Civil actions for damages are filed with the courts, within a one-year term.

• Thinking only the victim can report through the confidential channel: witnesses, parents, coaching staff and anyone connected to sports can also do it.
• Believing an internal process at the sports entity must be exhausted before going to court: the law does not require it for civil actions under Article 7.
• Assuming an entity is not liable if the aggressor is not its direct employee: the entity is also liable for outside third parties if it knew of the conduct and did not act, within the scope of its control.
• Not checking whether the entity has a valid Organization Accreditation before enrolling an athlete: lacking accreditation can be grounds for suspension of public funds or facilities.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Recreación y Deportes (DRD)

  DRD

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov

• Act 162-2026 — civil liability of sports entities

  Asamblea Legislativa de Puerto Rico

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov

• Act 179-2026 — confidential complaint channel and compliance registry

  Asamblea Legislativa de Puerto Rico

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov