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

[attyfan]

Well, one past pres just got busted ... wonder what the docs at issue will show:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/18/us/usa-gymnastics-former-president-steve-penny-arrest/index.html

 

[Aceon6]

On one hand, I can’t believe anyone could be that stupid. On the other hand, this is USAG after all.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Tasha Schwikert's latest comments about Larry Nassar & USAG.

*** Former Olympian Tasha Schwikert says she was abused by Larry Nassar, 'manipulated' into supporting USA Gymnastics :
https://abcnews.go.com/US/olympian-...ssar-manipulated-supporting/story?id=58592690

A former Olympic gymnast said in an exclusive interview with ABC News that she was sexually abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar for years, and claimed that in 2017, USA Gymnastics' then-president had manipulated her into agreeing to a statement of support for the organization.

Tasha Schwikert, 33, told ABC News that, shortly before a February 2017 "60 Minutes" interview where three former gymnasts alleged sexual abuse by Nassar, Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics at the time, called her unexpectedly, saying, "We're in some trouble."

Tasha Schwikert talked about her experience Thursday for the first time in an interview with ABC News. She hopes to speak out against what she described as an "environment of fear" that she said pervaded life at the Karolyi Ranch. She is now an attorney living in Las Vegas with her husband and two children.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Jessica Howard comments about working on the board with Steve Penny & recommends decertification of USAG.

*** "He's guilty as sin": Former gymnast Jessica Howard slams ex-USA Gymnastics CEO :
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former...ams-ex-usa-gymnastics-head-hes-guilty-as-sin/

Howard, who served on the board with Penny for four years, said he was an "intimidating figure" nobody wanted to cross. She recalled a time when he told her, "Why do we even have your sport, it doesn't bring in any money," referring to rhythmic gymnastics, in which Howard is a national champion.

"He has been orchestrating this from the very beginning. ... As soon as I joined the board, I found out from my first meeting that all they were interested in was money and medals," Howard said. "This guy's been guilty as sin from the very beginning. He's known about this since 2015. He has tried to silence everyone who was involved at the very beginning. … He gave Larry Nassar a story that allowed him to continue working with young athletes at other gyms who he clearly did not care about, and one of them was as young as 8 years old… children that could have been saved from sexual abuse."

 

[FiveRinger]

Steve Penny needs to be in the same cell as Larry Nassar. He's vile.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

USAG has requested input from athletes & members regarding leadership :
https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=22745

As you have most likely heard, the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Mary Bono as interim president. We take full responsibility and apologize for the missteps that occurred and for the distraction this has caused – particularly when the focus should be on our athletes as they head off to Doha to compete in the World Championships. We also want you to know that we, as a board, are committed to taking action – even when it means changing course – to respond to the needs of our community.

Our search for the next president and CEO is underway, and we are currently seeking input from the gymnastics community on the qualities and attributes desired in our next leader. We remain steadfast in our efforts to fundamentally transform the organization. Athlete safety and well-being at all levels of our sport are at the heart of everything we do. Spencer Stuart, one of the leading executive recruiting firms, is actively identifying potential candidates, and we are confident we will identify a new leader who can help us fulfill our mission. We will keep you updated on its progress.

There is also continuing discussion about decertification.

*** USA Gymnastics Faces Calls to Decertify Following Mary Bono Hiring and Resigning :
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/americas-gymnasts-deserve-better-than-usa-gymnastics?verso=true

Calls for the board to dissolve and the U.S. Olympic Committee to decertify the organization have come from fans, journalists, and survivors. Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly come forward as a survivor, tweeted on Tuesday: “The USOC must decertify. There is no going forward with the current organization.” Sarah Klein, Larry Nassar’s first known victim, said Thursday, “Decertify them.” She also said the board of directors should resign effective immediately. Aly Raisman said on Wednesday, “The board must go,” and had Tweeted earlier in the week, “the USOC needs to act.” Dominique Moceanu called for dissolving the organization altogether on Thursday.

 

[FiveRinger]

The board is completely tone deaf. This organization, as it stands, will have a stigma, and the athletes do not have any trust. I still say that they need to be disbanded. An entirely new organization with new representation needs to be started.

 

[Lil Sarah]

If you're in Canada, you can watch live with CBC live stream:

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/gymnastics/live-artistic-gymnastics-championships-1.4876695

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Tasha & Jordan Schwikert have filed lawsuits.

*** Las Vegas sisters file suits in USA Gymnastics sex assault scandal :
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/...-suits-in-usa-gymnastics-sex-assault-scandal/

The lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and seek to hold the defendants, including the U.S. Olympic Committee, accountable for referring the sisters to Nassar for medical treatment, even though they knew “or should have known of Nassar’s sexual abuse and could have prevented it by taking sexual abuse allegations seriously and maintaining a culture of accountability and transparency.”

According to a statement released Monday on behalf of the sisters, the lawsuits are the first related to the scandal to seek damages under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, “as each of these defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity including sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit such acts.”

 

[Karina1974]

I recently did a complete transfer of every piece of videotaped gymnastics I own over to DVD - every Olympics since 2000, every Nationals since 1996, and a lot of World Championships and other competitions. Every time they showed Nassar or just mentioned him my skin crawled.

 

[Jimena]

NPR is doing an entire podcast series on the Larry Nassar case and how he got away with it for years. It's called Believed and you can access it here: here

They've posted three episodes so far. It's disturbing but worth it.

 

[ilovepaydays]

NPR is doing an entire podcast series on the Larry Nassar case and how he got away with it for years. It's called Believed and you can access it here: here

They've posted three episodes so far. It's disturbing but worth it.

Just listened to today’s episode “The Basement”. This family was beyond awful......

And people wonder why children who are abused never or take so long to come forward.

 

[Aceon6]

NPR is doing an entire podcast series on the Larry Nassar case and how he got away with it for years. It's called Believed and you can access it here: here

They've posted three episodes so far. It's disturbing but worth it.

Thanks for posting.
For those who might prefer it, there are transcripts posted as well.

 

[skatfan]

As I predicted after the resignation of Bono, the US Olympic Committee has made its move on USA Gymnastics after Worlds to decertify.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/sports/usa-gymnastics-usoc.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytsports

 

[clairecloutier]

As I predicted after the resignation of Bono, the US Olympic Committee has made its move on USA Gymnastics after Worlds to decertify.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/sports/usa-gymnastics-usoc.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytsports

Glad to hear this. USAG was given several chances to clean itself up & proved incapable of doing so, with multiple bad leadership hires and an inability to manage its relations & communications either internally with its athletes or externally with the press/USOC/Congress. As soon as the Nassar scandal broke, it was clear that USAG leadership was compromised. Time for a complete rebuild.

 

[Debbie S]

Is Aly Raisman going to run the new NGB?

 

[BaileyCatts]

So what does that mean exactly? There has to be some type of organization to like ... organize everything, doesn't there?

 

[skatfan]

So what does that mean exactly? There has to be some type of organization to like ... organize everything, doesn't there?

Good questions!

I think it means that the current USA Gymnastics (at least in present form) will, should it take final action, no longer be the NGB for the Olympic movement. How that relates to FIG I don't know, but presumably would remove them from that as well since they would no longer be the NGB.

Are there any parallels to draw on? I'm assuming that the USOC is doing this now because it is hopefully far enough ahead of Tokyo Olys to get things organized in time for that event.

Does it mean that local clubs create something new, or the USOC helps them to do that? Lots and lots of things to understand.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Also - McKayla Maroney’s gym is closing, apparently because of scandals.

AOGC’s letter is just unreal. Wow. Just wow.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

"Un-appreciation and betrayal" really stood out. Also athletes usually earn their own scholarships, but apparently at this facility the coaches earn them.

 

[Erin]

"Un-appreciation and betrayal" really stood out. Also athletes usually earn their own scholarships, but apparently at this facility the coaches earn them.

Yeah, apparently these coaches also won the Olympic medals too

 

[VGThuy]

When I think things could NOT get more ridiculous, it just continues to do so. I mean...there is no bottom of this well.

 

[Choupette]

Yeah, apparently these coaches also won the Olympic medals too

You can tell modesty was their motto.

I swear I've often thought that gymnastics coaches were convinced gymnasts were working for them, while the truth is that the gymnast is actually hiring the coach. The gymnasts are the ones paying for a service, not the other way around. Sometimes I've wondered if some parents were forgetting it too...

Now I know we can find abuse in any sport, but can you imagine a Davis Cup captain in tennis treating his team like Marta did? Why was it okay, because they were mostly teenagers? Hopefully we soon get athletes treated as such in american gymnastics.

 

[VGThuy]

I think a lot of it (but not the only thing) was emulating the Soviet/Romanian Commie-era ideal. They were unstoppable in gymnastics in the 1970s-2000s and they basically created an environment where coaches were absolute tyrants not to be questioned. The athletes start very young and get conditioned to just follow orders. Those who rebelled or spoke their mind didn't last long in the sport. I can see many parents deferring to the coaches because they thought they knew best and probably mistook the total abuse of trust/control as just invoking military-like discipline, which is seen as making them tough and would maybe serve them well as adults. The young athletes would not tell their parents everything as they were continually conditioned to follow coach's orders and behave. They maybe witnessed other gymnasts being punished for disobedience and would swallow anything they really felt. They probably didn't share everything with their parents either because they sensed how much financial and other pressure gymnastics put on their parents or would be afraid if they said something their parents would take them out (by that point their whole life was gymnastics and they don't see any other lifestyle or even thought about wanting something out) or worse, that their parents would blame them for being a failure after they invested so much time and resources already. Some gymnasts who make it seem like perfectionists and the coaches probably exploit that too.

 

[nimi]

USA Today article about the USOC finally making its move: USOC begins process of revoking USA Gymnastics' status as national governing body

The USOC's action Monday triggers a process that includes a hearing before a three-person panel. The USOC will select the panel, which will be chaired by a USOC board member and include a representative from the NGB council and athlete advisory council. USA Gymnastics will have the opportunity to "present factual evidence and legal argument regarding the allegations of the complaint" at the hearing, according to the USOC bylaws.

Afterward, the hearing panel will issue a report to the USOC board with a recommendation on what action should be taken. Hirshland can also submit a report to the board. After considering the reports and recommendations it receives, the USOC board will issue a final decision.

The USOC's bylaws do not outline any sort of timeline for the process.

USOC Statement Regarding Action To Revoke USA Gymnastics' Recognition As Member National Governing Body

So, what’s next?

Strictly speaking, there is a process that must be followed based on the USOC Bylaws that lay out how we recognize, and revoke recognition, for an NGB. We have filed a complaint. A review panel will be identified, a hearing will be held, a report will be issued and a recommendation will be made. Then the USOC board will vote to continue to recognize USAG, or to revoke that status.

But that doesn’t really answer the meat of the question. You need to know what happens to gymnasts and your clubs if USA Gymnastics’ membership is revoked by the USOC. We are developing both a short- and longer-term plan and will communicate it as soon as we can.

The clearest answer I can provide is that gymnastics as a sport will remain a bedrock for the Olympic community in the United States. Young people will continue to participate, refine their techniques and have fun. Our Team USA athletes will continue to inspire us through their incredible accomplishments. We will ensure support for the Olympic hopefuls who may represent us in Tokyo in 2020.

Well written statement IMO. (Especially if you compare it to that AOGC statement discussed above.) I sure hope it's not just lip service.

When I think things could NOT get more ridiculous, it just continues to do so. I mean...there is no bottom of this well.

Yeah I mean there was this, too:

This prominent USAG coach and official is literally comparing Aly Raisman, who is Jewish, to a Nazi and referring to her as "lizard people" for simply citing an oft-reported fact about Ron Galimore, who helped Nassar hide why he was no longer at meets.

 

[BaileyCatts]

Now that Worlds is over, is the gymnastics competitive season essentially over for the next few months? I only know how the skating competitive season works (elite season done after Worlds for next 4 or so months?). The USA gymnasts will still get to go compete at international events if there is no NGB, right?

 

[Choupette]

Yesterday, I listened to Maroney's interview where she spoke of how her coaches at AOGC. I could hardly believe it. These coaches simply didn't behave like adults. They were very paranoid. It just felt like they had a very narrow view and were absolutely clueless when it came to interpersonal relationships.

I think a lot of it (but not the only thing) was emulating the Soviet/Romanian Commie-era ideal.

Well yes, the Soviet were told that they had to do well because they were representing their country, therefore the gymnasts served the country, and their training was entirely funded. USA Gymnastics definitely treated their gymnasts as servants who could be replaced just because. I'm still amazed that somehow the Karolyi managed to replicate their system in the United States. I understand how they did it but I still can't believe that so many fell for it.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Update about AOGC - they have settled with Mattie Lawson for $1 million.

 

[nimi]

Update about AOGC - they have settled with Mattie Lawson for $1 million.

Good for Mattie Larson! But reading this made me so angry:

“It is a sad day when Southern California looses (sic) a gym that has been so instrumental for the development of gymnastics,” Carol McIntyre, president of the So Cal Women’s Gymnastics Coaches Association, wrote in an email Monday to the Southern California gymnastics community. “I can’t imagine how devastating this is to Galina.

“…With USA Gymnastics being in the hot seat once again, Lets work together and show the pride and Class Southern California is famous for. We have always been the leaders of the country. Lets rise above the negative perception that has been bestowed on our beautiful sport by no fault of our own. Lets all remember we are competitive, but we are colleagues first. Athletes will come and go but we will all remain.

Seriously. "Lets rise above the negative perception that has been bestowed on our beautiful sport by no fault of our own." and "Athletes will come and go but we will all remain." They just stubbornly refuse to get it.

But John Manly, an attorney for Larson and dozens of other survivors, said McIntyre’s comments were “emblematic of the culture of USA Gymnastics where athletes come and go sort of like cattle and that’s how they look at them. It’s an abusive culture.”

EXACTLY.

John Manly also tweeted this:

Mattie sued them for 1 reason to make sure no other child had endure the unendurable. They’re closing. Mission accomplished & good riddance.

One more thing from the OCR article, relevant to the decertification thing:

USA Gymnastics board of directors, under pressure from the organization’s insurance carriers, has weighed filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Such a move could establish a bar date in which future claims against the organization could not be filed after a certain window. (...)

A Chapter 11 filing could also help the USA Gymnastics head off, at least temporarily, the USOC’s decertification process.

 

[skatfan]

Here's a great article about the USOC complicity in all of this. I'm hopeful that the bi-partisan approach will continue with the change in leadership in the House.