PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) — The International Tennis Hall of Fame has hired an attorney to investigate allegations that an inductee from South Africa sexually abused girls he coached, which could result in his expulsion or suspension.
Chief executive officer Mark Stenning said Tuesday that the lawyer is interviewing people who say they were abused by Bob Hewitt, 72, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, won several Grand Slam events and was inducted in 1992.
The Associated Press was not immediately able to contact Hewitt, who lives in South Africa. He does not face criminal charges.
Among those interviewed as part of the hall of fame's inquiry is Heather Conner of Massachusetts. She says she was sexually abused by Hewitt starting at age 15, when she says he forced her to have sex with him.
Conner has spoken publicly before and agreed to be identified. She said she wants to see Hewitt expelled.
The AP typically doesn't identify people who say they were sexually abused, unless they agree to be named publicly.
Stenning said he didn't know how many women the lawyer is interviewing as part of the inquiry. He said the report could be presented to the hall of fame's executive committee this month.
