John Babington, one of the most influential women’s running coaches in Greater Boston history, was ruled permanently ineligible Thursday from any involvement in Olympic-related sports for sexual misconduct after a three-year investigation by the US Center for SafeSport.
SafeSport concluded that Babington engaged in sexual misconduct with two minor girls he was coaching, and unwanted physical misconduct with a female collegiate athlete he coached, with the incidents allegedly occurring from the mid-1970s to the 1990s, according to a disciplinary database maintained by the organization and interviews by the Globe.
Babington, 77, of Ashland and now retired, coached numerous world-class runners, beginning when they were teenagers. He has until Jan. 11 to request an arbitration hearing on SafeSport’s disciplinary action.
In a phone interview, Babington said he took issue with one claimant’s version of their encounters and considered the permanent ban against him unnecessary, but he otherwise did not contest the findings.
