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

Erin

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I think whether they knew or not, they are responsible because they created the environment where he could flourish. He wouldn't have had the opportunity to groom the girls if they weren't desperate for food and approval and someone to be on their side. He would have had someone report that what he was doing didn't feel right if the girls weren't afraid to speak up. That's on the Karolyis (and specifically Martha since Bela had technically retired by then) for creating that environment.

ETA: so I originally thought that it was generally pretty well done and that Dateline had done their homework, but reading this on twitter, I'm a little disappointed:
https://twitter.com/aly_raisman/status/988230224981774336?s=21

I want to know who Aly named.
 
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SpeedySucks

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I think whether they knew or not, they are responsible because they created the environment where he could flourish. He wouldn't have had the opportunity to groom the girls if they weren't desperate for food and approval and someone to be on their side. He would have had someone report that what he was doing didn't feel right if the girls weren't afraid to speak up. That's on the Karolyis (and specifically Martha since Bela had technically retired by then) for creating that environment.

ETA: so I originally thought that it was generally pretty well done and that Dateline had done their homework, but reading this on twitter, I'm a little disappointed:
https://twitter.com/aly_raisman/status/988230224981774336?s=21

I want to know who Aly named.

I have to think it was Rhonda Faehn - she would make the most logical sense at this point since many others who were in charge are now gone.

I also wonder who told Maroney not to talk about Nassar’s abuse at the 2011 Tokyo Worlds - I assume that was Sacramone.
 

Erin

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I have to think it was Rhonda Faehn - she would make the most logical sense at this point since many others who were in charge are now gone.

I also wonder who told Maroney not to talk about Nassar’s abuse at the 2011 Tokyo Worlds - I assume that was Sacramone.

Those were my two guesses also.
 

ilovepaydays

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ToFarAwayTimes

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Aly Raisman was interviewed for Dateline NBC schedule. She is now criticizing NBC (Olympic partner), accusing them of omitting the part of her interview where she was critical of USOC. Specifically, she told them she reported abuse to a specific USOC official, and named that person, but NBC decided that was not important to put in their interview.

So sick of everything Olympics. ****ing corrupt illegal bag of human scum. Gymnastics, swimming, figure skating, all of it.

Burn it down.

Let's just have Nationals and World Championships from now on and call it a day.
 

Erin

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I just can’t even respond to the Karolyis’ suit.

Re Vega’s suit, that means all competing members of the 2011 World team have come forward as survivors of Nassar’s abuse - Wieber, Raisman, Maroney, Douglas, and now Vega :(
 

DimaToe

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I’m actually glad that the Karolyis are suing USA Gym and the USOC, if only for the reason that it magnifies the ineptitude and ambition at the top of this sport that provided the environment for Nassar to commit his evil deeds.
 

VGThuy

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I’m actually glad that the Karolyis are suing USA Gym and the USOC, if only for the reason that it magnifies the ineptitude and ambition at the top of this sport that provided the environment for Nassar to commit his evil deeds.

Agreed. They'll be eating each other alive.
 

VALuvsMKwan

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I’m actually glad that the Karolyis are suing USA Gym and the USOC, if only for the reason that it magnifies the ineptitude and ambition at the top of this sport that provided the environment for Nassar to commit his evil deeds.

Agreed. They'll be eating each other alive.

:watch: (not to make fun of the horrible treatment of the athletes, but it would be satisfying to see the exploiters and the "know-nothings" take each other down)
 

Artistic Skaters

Drawing Figures
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Imagine the information that will come out of the depositions before they quash it all with their usual non-disclosure agreements.
 

Choupette

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Really, all I can think of right now:

Bela Karolyi said:
These girls are like little scorpions. You put them all in a bottle and one scorpion will come out alive. That scorpion will be champion.

Look at who are the scorpions now... :watch:
 

Aceon6

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There seems to be no shortage of adults preying on talented kids who need those adults to advance in the arts or sport. Poor kids make the best targets.
 

Artistic Skaters

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*** Martha Karolyi was told of allegations that Larry Nassar molested Team USA gymnasts in June 2015 :
https://www.ocregister.com/2018/05/...ssar-molested-team-usa-gymnasts-in-june-2015/
Longtime U.S. Olympic and USA Gymnastics national team director Martha Karolyi said in a 2017 deposition that she was first informed in June 2015 by USA Gymnastics chief executive Steve Penny of allegations that U.S. Olympic and women’s national team physician Larry Nassar molested Team USA gymnasts at the Karolyi Ranch in central Texas, according to documents obtained by the Southern California News Group.

Karolyi’s statements in a sworn deposition given May 23, 2017, in Houston – made public for the first time by SCNG – contradict assertions made by Karolyi and her husband Bela, a former U.S. Olympic team coach and USA Gymnastics national team director, in a recent lawsuit that they did not learn of allegations of Nassar’s sexual misconduct with gymnasts and other young athletes until after the 2016 Olympic Games.
 

Artistic Skaters

Drawing Figures
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It sounds like Michigan State has finally faced up to the problem & at least done the work to reach a timely settlement, while other related sports organizations are still floundering in the aftermath and denying liability.

Sally Jenkins wrote a column last week about the importance for USOC & related organizations to take responsibility for past mistakes that went unresolved & not just pretend all is well now that SafeSport has arrived.

*** USOC can’t just look ahead to better sex abuse prevention. It must face its failures.
www.baltimoresun.com/ct-spt-usoc-larry-nassar-problem-sally-jenkins-20180511-story.html#nt=inbody-1
Presumably, the leaders of the U.S. Olympic Committee don't wake up in the morning saying, "I want to enable child molesters." They don't go to work every day intending to help peddle young women to sexual abusers. Yet somehow, the USOC became a victimizer of athletes instead of their protector.
 
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Erin

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It sounds like Michigan State has finally faced up to the problem & at least done the work to reach a timely settlement, while other related sports organizations are still floundering in the aftermath and denying liability.

Well, not to defend USAG, but MSU has the deepest pockets and the most resources for more money, so if the victims were going to get a significant settlement, it was always going to have to be from MSU.

The good on this settlement:
1. I'm happy that the victims are going to get something, although nothing can compensate them for what they went through.
2. It's good that there is something set aside for future victims who come forward because you know that not everyone has come forward, anonymously or otherwise, and I don't want someone who wasn't ready to process this year to be cut out. I see the latest number is now up to 332, which is up significantly from the 260 I last heard.

The more cynical thoughts I have:
1. How much do the lawyers get out of this - in particular, John Manly, who was the lawyer for a good number of the victims? These types of things are usually done on a contingency fee arrangement. That is who is really getting the big payday on this.
2. I wonder if USAG and the Karolyis will now feel like they can get away without paying and will fight to the end because MSU has paid up.
3. I sure hope the settlement contained something relating to change at MSU and not just money because I feel like the pressure might come off of them now. I have a feeling it didn't though.
 

VGThuy

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There are usually caps on how much a lawyer can take out of a settlement in a contingency scheme, and the victims willingly signed the contract.

MSU’s settlement has no bearing on USAG’s liability and not all of the plaintiffs against USAG were part of the MSU suit. I’d be more worried if USAG’s insurance company successfully can say their coverage won’t cover them for this suit because then USAG may not be able to pay what they really owe to the victims.

One of my thoughts is that I hope MSU’s insurance covers most of this because otherwise the students and citizens of Michigan will end bearing the brunt of the cost since it is a public school.
 

ilovepaydays

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One of my thoughts is that I hope MSU’s insurance covers most of this because otherwise the students and citizens of Michigan will end bearing the brunt of the cost since it is a public school.

Nope!

According to the linked article, MSU’s insurance is only for up to $39 million in coverage.
 

overedge

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Nope!

According to the linked article, MSU’s insurance is only for up to $39 million in coverage.

I was wondering about this too. I know that schools like Harvard and Yale have $$$ endowment funds that could cover something like this beyond what they would get from insurance. But while MSU is a big school I'm not sure it's in that financial league. And given MSU's liability for letting Nassar get away with what he did, I wonder if the insurance companies would even be obliged to cover any of MSU's payouts.
 

rhapsody

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/loca...a-gymnastics-senior-vice-president/ar-AAxrTWU

Perry asked Rhonda to resign. It was kind of a shitshow earlier on Twitter today with current gymnasts calling Perry out.

Definitely a reactionary move by Perry prior to testifying in congress next week to boost her credibility. I agree that Faehn and any other coach who knew about the abuse and did not report it to LAW ENFORCEMENT should have been fired months ago. However, doing this in the middle of a training camp really shows that Perry does not give a shit about the gymnasts themselves and is more about saving her own ass.

I'm leaning more and more towards a decertification of USAG.
 

Erin

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/loca...a-gymnastics-senior-vice-president/ar-AAxrTWU

Perry asked Rhonda to resign. It was kind of a shitshow earlier on Twitter today with current gymnasts calling Perry out.

Shitshow is a good way to describe it. It seems like the gymnasts must have been asked to take down their social media posts and one has deleted her account completely, which makes me sad that they have been silenced. Sounds like Rhonda was refusing to resign for a period of time, but is now gone. I think she needed to go but this was done in the worst way possible.
 

DimaToe

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USAGym should resign. It’s such a joke that said organization is still in existence.
 

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