FBI Expands Search for NYC Volleyball Coach Edgar Lazaro Castillo Accused of Sexual Assault

When I saw the FBI bulletin this week, my first thought was for the families. The bureau’s New York Field Office has publicly identified Edgar Lazaro Castillo, 36, a former New York City youth volleyball coach, as an individual allegedly involved in the sexual exploitation of minors. Agents are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Here is what has been reported so far. The alleged misconduct runs from potentially as far back as 2010 through March of this year. Castillo spent close to ten years coaching at NYC Impact Volleyball Club. Before Impact, he was with Legacy Volleyball Club — the program that reportedly let him go in 2014 after concerns surfaced about his unsupervised communications with young players. The current federal investigation appears to have been triggered by a player’s complaint of an assault at a Boston tournament this past March. Agents have since told Impact parents that Castillo is believed to have left the country.

If you or a family member has information, the FBI has set up a confidential online questionnaire: https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/CoachEdgarCastilloVictims

The Castillo Case Is Not an Isolated Incident

Sadly, none of this is new. I have spent years representing survivors of sexual assault and abuse, and the pattern in these investigations is painfully familiar. Federal and state authorities keep surfacing cases in which coaches, trainers, and medical staff used their position — and the trust that comes with it — to harm children for years at a time.

Whether the setting is gymnastics, swimming, or now volleyball, the story tends to go the same: early warning signs, informal complaints, a quiet dismissal, and then a fresh start at the next program down the road. That is how decades of harm accumulate before anyone in a position of authority does something about it.

Our firm has represented survivors in many cases like this, including claims against some of the most prominent training programs and governing bodies in the country. What I have learned from that work is simple: these harms almost never happen in isolation. They are enabled, sometimes for years, by organizations that did not enforce their own safeguards — or did not have real safeguards to begin with.

Institutions Have a Duty To Protect, and Survivors Have a Right To Answers

The public allegations against Castillo raise hard questions for the clubs, leagues, and tournament organizers involved:

• If one club let Castillo go in 2014 over concerns about his conduct, how did he keep coaching minors for another ten years?
• What complaints were raised at the time, and how were they handled?
• What background check, reference check, and communication policies existed, and were they actually enforced?
• Did parents and athletes ever learn about prior concerns?
• Did local clubs or governing bodies know — or should they have known — about the warning signs?

None of those questions are small. They get at whether the adults in charge met their most basic obligations to the children entrusted to them.

I know how heavy this news lands on survivors and families. The people I work with often tell me they feel violated, isolated, and unsure where to turn. Those reactions make sense. But I also want to be direct with you: survivors and families are not powerless, and they are not without options.

We Are Here To Help You Understand and Enforce Your Rights

Sommers Schwartz, P.C. represents survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and institutional misconduct throughout Michigan and the rest of the country. We understand how devastating these cases can be, and how much it matters for a survivor to have an advocate who knows the law, knows the institutions, and respects the emotional weight involved.

Our role is to:

• Listen without judgment.
• Explain your rights in plain language.
• Coordinate with law enforcement in a way that protects your interests.
• Identify every responsible party, including clubs, leagues, and governing bodies.
• Preserve evidence and hold the responsible parties accountable.
• Quietly, respectfully, and relentlessly fight for justice.

Criminal and civil cases often run side by side. A civil case focuses on a survivor’s recovery and on forcing institutional change, and it can sometimes proceed even when a criminal case cannot. Many states have also extended — or outright revived — the time window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to bring claims. Do not assume the door is closed until you have talked to someone who handles these cases.

If your child played youth volleyball between 2010 and March 2026 and any interaction with Edgar Lazaro Castillo now sits uneasy with you, please reach out. If you would rather share what you know directly with federal investigators, the FBI’s confidential form is linked above. Either route is a step toward accountability, and either one matters.

You Deserve Answers. You Deserve Support. You Deserve Justice.

If you believe you or your child may have been harmed by Edgar Lazaro Castillo — or by any youth sports coach who crossed a line — the team at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. is here to help you understand your rights and figure out the next step. To speak with me directly, contact our office today. Your consultation is confidential and 100% free of charge.