You are the chief administrator of a local youth softball league in charge of hiring coaches for the upcoming season. The coaches are not well paid, and it is difficult to get enough coaches for your eight teams. The participants in the program are young girls, ages 8 to 14. The season is fast approaching, and you need to fill the last coaching position very quickly. Finally, a man applies who has just moved to your area. He seems very personable, and he tells you that he has coached softball for the last 10 years in other youth organizations.

You are very impressed with this person's knowledge of the sport and his outgoing personality, so you hire him without doing any reference checks. If you had done any investigation, you would have found out his last coaching position ended with accusations against him of sexual abuse of his female players. Also, if you had done a criminal background check, you would have uncovered a conviction for a sexual offense with a minor. One month after being hired, this coach sexually molests a girl on his team.

Question:

What liability can exist?