Gymnastics abuse survivors obtain $380 million settlement

A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday approved a settlement involving more than 500 sexual abuse victims, ending the legal aspect of the U.S. Olympic movement’s largest sexual abuse scandal. More than 300 victims were abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, while others reported abuse by individuals affiliated with the organization. The agreement with USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee had initially called for $425 million in damages.

What comes next? Several of the survivors are seeking stakeholder provisions within USA Gymnastics, including seats on the organization’s Safe Sport Committee, Athlete Health and Wellness Council, and board of directors. They also plan to review the USA Gymnastics culture and practices that allowed Nassar and others to abuse female athletes for years. Nassar received a 175-year prison sentence in 2018 after molesting hundreds of athletes.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report on the Netflix documentary Athlete A, which shed light on how the sexual abuse crisis evolved in gymnastics.