Lawsuits against USA Gymnastics, Larry Nassar, etc. - news & updates

[FiveRinger]

Kocian and her parents have called out something that has bothered me for a while - when USAG learned of the issues in 2015 and knew that at least 4 athletes had been impacted (Simone, Maggie, Aly, and McKayla), they did nothing to look into who else might have been affected.
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/ot...evealed-daughters-olympic-medals-werent-worth

Those individuals need to be held personally accountable. That’s just unbelievable. The ones who knew about the abuse and did or said nothing should be punished, also.

 

[Erin]

Those individuals need to be held personally accountable. That’s just unbelievable. The ones who knew about the abuse and did or said nothing should be punished, also.

I think that is unlikely unfortunately. I was hoping that something would come out of the Texas Ranger investigation but only one additional person was indicted - Debbie van Horn. They indicated that there were people at USAG who broke the law by not alerting the authorities immediately but the statute had run out. So while I believe that Steve Penny at a minimum should be in jail, I suspect it won’t happen.

The people who knew after Sarah Jantzi alerted Rhonda will all claim that Steve Penny was running the show although I don’t think that excuses them from questioning things and using their judgement. Some of these people have been fired or resigned but a few (Ron Galimore) are still there and should be gone.

 

[Aceon6]

And the lawyers keep telling USAG to stay silent. What a shame as I'm guessing there are some good people who would like to discuss it in public, but are being silenced because of a fear of additional litigation. I wish they'd just blurt it out already... it's not like the rest of the world doesn't know what went on.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

*** Aly Raisman says USA Gymnastics still isn't reaching out to abuse victims :
https://www.wcvb.com/article/aly-ra...-gymnastics-if-you-really-don-t-care/22765088

Despite the doctor's conviction and the many athletes who've come forward, Raisman says the organization is still not treating victims with the respect they deserve.

"USA Gymnastics needs to stop saying it's the 'new' USA Gymnastics," she said. "You can't be the ‘new USA Gymnastics’ if you really don't care and you're not even reaching out."

 

[FiveRinger]

USA Gymnastics needs to go away. Another organization with new leadership needs to be formed. These girls may never be able to move forward as long as USA Gymnastics exists.

 

[Rob]

I really don't understand what USA Gymnastics is doing and what it's lawyers are advising. I get why she needs to stick to her talking points with the media, but there are a multitude of communications she could have with survivor members of the organization that would not constitute admission of guilt/liability.

 

[Debbie S]

The significance of Simone Biles' teal leotard at Nationals: https://www.today.com/news/simone-b...ampionships-wearing-leotard-survivors-t135967

 

[Karina1974]

The significance of Simone Biles' teal leotard at Nationals: https://www.today.com/news/simone-b...ampionships-wearing-leotard-survivors-t135967

She is the BOSS, and then some.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

The next possible felon from the gymnastics scandal --

*** Former MSU gymnastics coach charged with lying to police about Larry Nassar allegations :
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com...d-lying-police-nassar-allegations/1072923002/

The charges, filed today in 54A District Court in Lansing, make Klages the second person charged as part of the Michigan Attorney General's Office investigation of Michigan State University's handling of reports about Nassar.

"Klages denied to Michigan State Police detectives having been told prior to 2016 of Nassar’s sexual misconduct," according to an AG's Office news release. "Witnesses have said that they reported Nassar’s sexual abuse to Klages dating back more than 20 years."

One of those people is Larissa Boyce, a former youth gymnast who said she told Klages about Nassar's abuse in 1997, when she was 16. Boyce said that Klages cautioned her and another gymnast from filing a formal complaint against Nassar, which Klages has denied.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

This is an interesting article that shows how MSU originally planned to address the issue in their alumni magazine using a format similar to the one Penn State used after the Joe Paterno scandal. However, it was changed by Interim President John Engler to present only positive, "moving forward" commentary including his own handling of related matters. The article has a link to the original material the staff wanted to publish (at the bottom of the article) && it is quite compelling.

*** Original MSU alumni magazine leaked :
https://statenews.com/article/2018/08/original-alumni-magazine-leaked

 

[Willin]

Seriously, MSU needs to sack Engler. None of the staff, students, or alum I know like or wanted him. The Board of Trustees shouldn't be making such big decisions when they could care less what the people most important to the school want. I wish I could vote every last trustee out, but I'm not a MI voter.

 

[Sylvia]

USA Today's Nancy Armour: Who's to blame for inability to clean up USA Gymnastics?

The turmoil that marked Kerry Perry’s brief tenure at USA Gymnastics was wholly predictable. And familiar to the entire U.S. Olympic movement.
With USA Gymnastics needing a strong and knowledgeable leader to make amends for the Larry Nassar crisis and implement policies to ensure a horror like that will never happen again, the federation instead hired someone who knew nothing about the organization she would be running.
Someone who kept on executives who helped foster – either actively or with their silence – the very culture she was tasked to change. Someone who relied too much on lawyers and not enough on common sense. Someone who bunkered down when she needed to be bold. Someone who preached transparency but practiced secrecy.

ETA that the news of Kerry Perry's forced resignation was posted in the Gymnastics news thread yesterday: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...mbling-on-to-tokyo.99149/page-44#post-5405271

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Just when you think it can't get any worse, the story takes another turn. This recent lawsuit charges Larry Nassar with a rape from 1992 & says a current MSU trustee covered it up even though there was documented video evidence.

*** Lawsuit: George Perles intervened after Nassar accused of drugging, raping athlete in 1992 :
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com...ete-1992-george-perles-intervened/1264735002/

A woman says in a recently filed lawsuit that Larry Nassar drugged and raped her during a medical appointment in 1992, when she was a Michigan State University field hockey player.

Erika Davis told her coach what happened, including that the assault was videotaped, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Grand Rapids and includes her name. Her coach, Martha Ludwig, confronted Nassar about what happened and demanded and received a copy of the recording, according to the lawsuit.

George Perles, who resigned as athletic director in 1992 and is a current Michigan State University trustee, later intervened and the complaint was dropped, according to the lawsuit. Perles forced Ludwig to return the video, resign and sign a non-disclosure agreement, according to the lawsuit.

 

[Willin]

Didn't one of the previous articles say he was kicked out (well, almost kicked out) of medical school because he committed sexual violence against someone? The only reason he wasn't kicked out being that someone important was vouching for him. I'd bet this incident is that. But, my god, who the heck would vouch for him after an incident like that. He should've been kicked out regardless of someone vouching for him!!!

Also, Perles (and all the trustees) need to resign immediately. They've handled this whole mess extremely poorly and nothing they do is inspiring any confidence in me that it will get better.

 

[theredpepper]

This is horrifying.

MSU should get the death penalty IMO.

 

[FiveRinger]

Aly Raisman was on 60 Minutes this past Sunday. Did anyone get a chance to see it? I missed it. I was wondering if she said anything new.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

It was a rerun of the interview from earlier in the season.

 

[FiveRinger]

It was a rerun of the interview from earlier in the season.

Thank you

 

[Coco]

Just when you think the story can't get any worse... That story about Nassar videotaping that rape and the poor kid having a miscarriage and George Perles intervening it is beyond horrifying.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Today the son of George Perles is going after the girl in the press & saying the story is completely made up. He says the timeline information is not accurate. It sounds like he will not be waiting for MSU to investigate further.

*** George Perles' son: Michigan State icon didn't cover up Nassar rape :
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...orge-perles-son-larry-nassar-rape/1288694002/

Pat Perles, the son of former Michigan State football coach and current Board of Trustee member George Perles says the claims that his father helped cover up a rape by Larry Nassar in 1992 is "a fabrication."

"He doesn't remember any of this because it never happened," Pat Perles said. "There was no meeting with the field hockey coach. It certainly didn't include this subject. It's a fabrication."

Pat Perles said the timeline recounted by Davis in the lawsuit doesn't make sense and "create holes ... big enough for a truck to drive through."

Considering it happened 25 years ago, a timeline & dates can be updated (within reason) after the initial filing of the lawsuit if they are inaccurate. My focus instead would be on whether or not the coach verifies that the girl reported the incident to her & confirms the existence of the video & a non-disclosure agreement; and whether or not there are classmates who attest they went with her to the police station like she said. I wonder how they will respond if that information is corroborated.

 

[her grace]

Thoughtful interview with Alyssa Beckerman from Inside Gymnastics. Beckerman was there when the Karolyi death camps began and at the peak of MLT's coaching power.

The subjective selection makes it a free for all. It’s no longer only relevant that you score well at a meet, it’s important that you are liked. With an environment like that, of course you never dissent with Martha [Karolyi], because she holds it all in her hands. I saw some of the coaches buckle under that pressure. It was their only option, because otherwise their kids don’t get picked. . . .

You hear a lot that Larry Nassar was a tumor on an otherwise perfect system and… NO! Larry preyed upon a broken system. That’s how it happened. It was broken already. It’s the only way somebody like that persists for that long. Silent girls scared they won’t make a team.

Gymcastic interviewed Mary Lee Tracy and Val Kondos together. After listening to it, I've got my McKayla Moroney "not impressed" face on. Listen here.

The most damning article I've read yet about how the culture allowed for Nassar. Nassar's not a blip in an otherwise healthy system. The old guard don't seem to want to face that. Not only were they flat out grossly negligent (I actually can believe when each person says "athlete safety wasn't my job"; it appears it was no one's job), USAG created an environment where all kinds of abuse were normalized. Quote from the article:

Because the selection committees face "no rules to be accountable for," she said, an athlete has little power to influence the outcome. Mastering a difficult routine or improving consistency is no guarantee one will make the team.

The focus can shift to who the athlete needs to please. And that can foster fear, silence dissent, encourage bullying and create opportunity for "nice-guy" predators such as Nassar.

Note that the article also addresses a conflict of interest from 2017! where a trampoline athlete filed a SafeSport grievance against someone who then was on the selection committee and shocking, did not choose the athlete who reported him.

 

[Rob]

I noticed Bailie Key and Amanda Jetter have issued statements that they too were victims. https://247sports.com/Article/Larry...sers-121457067/Amp/?__twitter_impression=true.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

*** USA Gymnastics interim president faces scrutiny from Simone Biles, Aly Raisman :
https://www.indystar.com/story/news...fire-biles-raisman-mary-bono-hire/1652340002/

Raisman took aim Monday at Bono’s employment at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting, a firm that worked for USA Gymnastics when sex abuse allegations against Larry Nassar were being reported. Biles pointed to a month-old tweet from Bono.

Raisman, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said on Twitter that Faegre Baker Daniels helped cover up the allegations against Nassar in 2015.

“My teammates & I reported Nassar's abuse to USAG in 2015,” Raisman tweeted. “We now know USOC & lawyers at Faegre Baker Daniels (Mary Bono's firm) were also told then, yet Nassar continued to abuse children for 13 months!?”

Christine Brennan also wrote a commentary about Bono.

*** USA Gymnastics must remove interim CEO Mary Bono after its latest misstep in wake of scandal :
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...must-remove-interim-ceo-mary-bono/1650463002/

It doesn’t matter if Bono knew nothing about this. It doesn't matter that she was in the firm's Washington office dealing with legislation strategies and policies. USA Gymnastics is in the midst of a crisis the likes of which we have never before seen in the history of the U.S. Olympic movement. It cannot be led, even on an interim basis, by someone with any ties to that scandal, ties Bono certainly has by being associated in any way with the law firm.

One would think the USA Gymnastics board of directors would have been extremely sensitive to these issues, particularly after having just gotten rid of the previous CEO, Kerry Perry, who turned out to be a public-relations nightmare.

There have to be thousands of Americans who would be qualified for this job who haven’t been associated with Faegre Baker Daniels. So what did they do? They selected someone who worked at the darn law firm. If this weren’t so incredibly sad for the gymnasts the governing body is supposed to serve, it would be absolutely hilarious.

 

[Willin]

Can we just appoint Aly as USAG President and get it over with?


In reality, I understand she's probably not qualified for the position - at least until she gets some business experience. But, with her leadership ability and knowledge of being an elite USAG athlete, I think she and some other USAG alumni would be the ideal selection committee for a new leader. They can select someone who is both qualified and acceptable to the athletes.
If USAG can't get its stuff together and understand that athlete input is important in selecting their new leader they deserve to be torn apart and replaced by a new organization.

 

[Choupette]

I would actually put Dominique Moceanu in charge of USA Gymnastics.

 

[Sylvia]

Mary Bono is OUT (her resignation statement is included in this tweet): https://twitter.com/Sarah_Boxer/status/1052279843839193088

 

[ilovepaydays]

for the Gymcastic episode that will (assuming) come out tomorrow morning.

Also - this is surprising news - and I wonder if we will see Chris Brooks getting a promotion soon.

 

[skatfan]

Mary Bono is OUT (her resignation statement is included in this tweet): https://twitter.com/Sarah_Boxer/status/1052279843839193088

Her letter of resignation completely demonstrates why she was a bad choice. If she thought that she was being undefended against attacks for her own actions that raised controversy to an organization that needed none, well bye-bye.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

How does USAG keep getting it so wrong? Are they using an independent outside party with experience in these matters to vet the candidates? If so, the process has failed them miserably. If not, they need to find someone immediately so they don't continue down this path of irresponsible leadership.

 

[nickp]

Can we just make Aly Raisman president of USA Gymnastics?