Lawyers representing approximately 90 women, including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, filed a lawsuit against the FBI Wednesday seeking more than $1 billion for the agency’s failure to act after receiving allegations against sports doctor Larry Nassar in 2015.
McKayla Maroney via PBS NewsHour YouTube
“If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me,” former University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy told the AP.
USA Gymnastics told local FBI agents in 2015 that three gymnasts said they were assaulted by Nassar, the team doctor. According to the Justice Department’s inspector general, the FBI did not open a formal investigation or inform federal or state authorities in Michigan where Nassar was employed at Michigan State.
In 2016 Los Angeles FBI agents began a sexual tourism investigation against Nassar. He was arrested later that year during a child phonotypy investigation by Michigan State University police.
Aly Raisman via PBS NewsHour YouTube
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress in 2021 and formally acknowledged mistakes in the FBI’s handling of the assault claims.
“I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed. And that’s inexcusable,” Wray told victims at a Senate hearing.
The case was filed by California law firm Manly, Stewart & Finaldi. Based on federal law the FBI has six months to respond to the tort case.
Michigan State University, has already agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by Nassar while he was in the University’s employ.
USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also made a $380 million settlement. Nassar is serving decades in prison after pleasing guilty in 2017.
“The scars of this horrific abuse continue,” Biles testified to the Senate last year. “The impact of this man’s abuse will never be over.”
McKayla Maroney also testified, “As most of you are probably aware, I was molested by the U.S. Gymnastics National Team and Olympic Team doctor Larry Nassar. In actuality, he turned out to be more of a pedophile than he was a doctor.”
She would later testify, “After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented my report 17 months later they made entirely false claims about what I said.”
“After reading the Office of Inspector General’s OIG report, I was shocked and deeply disappointed by this narrative they chose to fabricate. They chose to lie about what I said and protect a serial child molester, rather than protect not only me, but countless others,” Maroney stated.
“It is time for the FBI to be held accountable,” national champion Maggie Nichols from Oklahoma told the AP.