A lawsuit filed in Dallas County, Texas has pulled back the curtain on years of internal turmoil at United States Judo, Inc., with a federal oversight investigation finding retaliation, manipulated finances, a questionable belt promotion, and an illegitimate ethics committee all tied together within the organization’s leadership.
The Core Dispute
According to sources, The case centers on William Gavigan, a USA Judo member who filed suit and obtained a temporary restraining order after being told disciplinary action was coming his way. USA Judo’s position is that no discipline has been imposed, his membership remains in good standing, and any future proceedings will follow the organization’s bylaws.
The disciplinary question itself stems from a report issued January 22, 2026, by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s compliance team, which conducted an investigation beginning in February 2025. That investigation involved 43 interviews and extensive document review.
What the USOPC Found
The USOPC concluded that board members Joe Ragan, Nicole Stout-Berliner, and Gerry Navarro “retaliated against members of the USA Judo Board of Directors, committee members, and staff” for raising good faith governance concerns. The report further found that Gavigan and former Ethics and Grievance Committee chair Matt Williams “assisted Ragan, Stout-Berliner, and Navarro in executing this retaliation.”
Specific findings against Gavigan included that he assisted Stout-Berliner in manipulating financial data, edited an NGC independence report with disparaging remarks about committee members, and submitted a records request the day after a forensic audit engagement letter was signed, coordinating with Stout-Berliner’s prior request as part of a broader effort to undermine USA Judo’s leadership.
The Belt Promotion Exchange
One of the more notable details in the report concerns Ragan’s promotion to sixth degree black belt. Ragan received his Continental Coach Certification on March 6, 2023, and was promoted to sixth degree black belt three weeks later, despite being two years short of the required time-in-grade.
Multiple witnesses told investigators they believed the promotion resulted from a quid pro quo arrangement between Ragan and the Promotion Committee chair: the chair would promote Ragan to the coveted ranking, and in return Ragan would protect the chair’s continued role overseeing the coaching certification program.
The USOPC stated it was unable to confirm whether this arrangement existed, but noted the promotion lacked meeting minutes showing committee approval, and the Promotion Committee had no recorded meeting on the date the promotion was approved.
That certification later became significant when another board member argued it disqualified Ragan from serving as an Independent Director, setting off the broader factional conflict within the organization.
The Coaching Certification Revenue Problem
The report detailed a revenue-sharing arrangement with an outside coach certification provider dating to 2007. The original contract expired and was never replaced. During the period without a valid contract, the provider collected fees from USA Judo members for coaching certifications without properly sharing revenue.
One estimate put the provider’s total receipts between $700,000 and $1 million from 2007 to 2024, while USA Judo received approximately $5,000. A conservative analysis suggested nearly $150,000 in revenue beyond the agreed threshold was never distributed to USA Judo.
The Illegitimate Ethics Committee
The report found that the new Ethics and Grievance Committee, appointed in January 2025 by an Executive Committee consisting solely of Ragan, Stout-Berliner, and Navarro, was itself part of the retaliation campaign. The new committee issued a notice of investigation and a conflicts of interest disclosure form that required recipients to reveal whether they had reported concerns to the USOPC.
The USOPC found the investigation notice was “a retaliatory act designed to punish reporters and chill future reporting to the USOPC.” Committee chair Matt Williams resigned immediately after the USOPC raised concerns and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
The USOPC drew an adverse inference from his refusal. USA Judo has stated it does not consider that committee’s January 21, 2025 Final Order to be validly issued or binding.
Where Things Stand
Gavigan filed suit after being informed of an alleged emergency email vote to impose discipline, though USA Judo states no evidence of such a vote exists in any records or minutes. The TRO he obtained has since expired. USA Judo has committed in writing that any disciplinary review will follow its bylaws and grievance procedures, and that no discipline will be imposed without a finding made through proper process.
