The legal dispute between USA Gymnastics and the hundreds of victims of sexual abuse committed by former national team doctor Larry Nassar among others is over. A compensation agreement amounting to 380 million dollars was signed.
A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday upheld the settlement between USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and more than 500 victims.
It comes in the wake of the biggest sexual abuse scandal in the history of the US Olympic movement.
More than 90% of victims voted in favor of the tentative agreement reached in September. The deal provided for US $ 425 million in damages, but an amended settlement of US $ 380 million has been conditionally approved by the courts.
Over 300 victims suffered abuse from Nassar; the remaining cases involve individuals affiliated with USA Gymnastics.
Financial compensation is only one aspect of the deal. As part of it, a series of non-pecuniary provisions will victimize stakeholders at USA Gymnastics. The arrangements include a seat on the organization’s board of directors and a review of the culture and practices that have made it possible for abusers to run rampant for years.
“Individually and collectively, the survivors courageously advocated for lasting change,” USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung said in a statement following the approval of the settlement.
“We are committed to working with them, and with the entire gymnastics community, to put the safety, health and well-being of our athletes and the community above all else. “
“For the next generation”
Rachael Denhollander, who in the fall of 2016 was the first to speak publicly about abuse by Nassar, said in an interview Monday that these arrangements were a crucial part of mediation. “It’s not about the money, it’s about change,” she said. It takes an accurate assessment of what went wrong, to make the environment safer for the next generation. “
One of Nassar’s most active victims in public, Rachael Denhollander stressed the importance of closing legal proceedings so that women affected by this scandal can walk personally and get the help they need.
“The more the process extends, the more difficult it is for the survivors,” she summarized. Many of these women do not have access to health care until an agreement is reached. It was necessary to consider both this reality and the length of the proceedings. We believed it was in everyone’s best interests to agree to this deal, so that survivors were entitled to some semblance of justice. “
Settlement comes nearly four years after heartbreaking victim hearings in Michigan, where hundreds of women detailed their episodes with Nassar and the major impact they had on their lives. .
Hundreds of girls and women have said Nassar sexually assaulted them under the guise of medical treatment while working for Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and a Michigan sports center, affiliated with USA Gymnastics.
In federal court, Nassar pleaded guilty to child pornography crimes before pleading guilty in state court to sexual assault against female gymnasts. In 2018, he was sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 40 to 175 years.