Gymnast abused by jailed former team doctor reaches $380 million settlement

The battle for real change within the sport’s national governing body is just beginning.

A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday approved a settlement between USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and more than 500 victims, ending one aspect of the fallout of the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of the American Olympic movement .

More than 90% of the victims voted in favor of the provisional settlement in September. That settlement called for USD 425 million in damages, but the revised settlement of USD 380 million was conditionally approved by the court.

More than 300 victims were abused by Nassar, with the remaining victims being abused in some capacity by individuals affiliated with USA Gymnastics.

Financial calculations are just one part of the equation. A series of non-monetary provisions will further advance the suffering stakeholders in USA Gymnastics.

Provisions include a dedicated seat on the organization’s Safe Sport Committee, Athlete Health and Wellness Council and board of directors, as well as a more thorough look at the culture and practices within USA Gymnastics, which allowed abusers like Nassar to run unchecked for years. Gave.

“Individually and collectively, the survivors have bravely stepped up to advocate for lasting change in the sport,” United States Gymnastics President Lee Leung said in a statement after the agreement was approved.

“We are committed to working with them, and with the entire gymnastics community, to ensure that we continue to place the safety, health and well-being of our athletes and community at the top priority.”

Hundreds of girls and women have said that Nassar sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment when he worked for Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians, and a Michigan gym that USA Gymnastics is a member of.

He pleaded guilty to child pornography offenses in federal court before pleading guilty in state court to sexually assaulting female gymnasts. He was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018.

Rachel Denhollander, who in the fall of 2016 was the first woman to elaborate on sexual abuse at the hands of Nassar, said the provisions were an important part of the mediation process.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about change,” Denhollander told the Associated Press in a phone interview.

“It’s about an accurate assessment of what went wrong so that it is safe for the next generation.”

Denhollander has been one of the most outspoken Nassar victims since the beginning of the scandal. She said it is important to move beyond legal proceedings so that women can move on with their lives and get the help they need.

“The clear reality is that the longer this goes on, the harder it is for survivors,” she said.

“Many of these women, without an agreement, cannot access medical care. We had to balance that reality with the time. We felt it was in everyone’s interest to accept this agreement … so that the survivors could Got some semblance of justice.”

Denhollander pointed out that some of the medical care needed is not covered by some types of insurance. The settlement will reduce part of the financial burden.

The settlement came nearly four years after an emotional sentencing hearing in Michigan in which hundreds of women detailed their experiences with Nassar and the toll it had taken on their lives.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said the organization – which is paying $34 million of its own money and $73 million from insurance companies – “recognizes its role in failing to protect these athletes, And we are sorry for the deep hurt he has caused. Well tolerated.”

Denhollander described the more than five years since she first approached reporters at The Indianapolis Star as “hell” on Monday.

“It’s been hellish for all of us,” she said.

“Pushing so long for the right things to happen, pushing for so long for justice to happen… it should never have taken five years.”

USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in December 2018, in an effort to consolidate the various lawsuits filed against it. The move also forced the USOPC to stop the decertification process launched against USA Gymnastics.

The organization has undergone massive leadership changes in the interim and reformed its health and safety policies. The agreement would allow it to continue as the sport’s national governing body, although Denhollander stressed that USA Gymnastics hasn’t gone far enough, which is why the participation of victims going forward is so important.

“We have to see for ourselves what is improving,” she said.

“The ability to do so provides a level of accountability that hasn’t happened until now.”

This story has been published without modification in text from a wire agency feed. Only the title has been changed.