USA Gymnastics and Olympic Committee reach $380M settlement with Larry Nassar victims

Victims of former US gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar have reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee and their insurers, bringing an end to five years of legal battling.

The settlement was confirmed during a hearing in a federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday, December 13.

 

The legal battle, which involved US Olympic stars Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, followed Nassar’s 2017 conviction that led to a 60-year sentence for possessing child sex abuse material.

In 2018, the disgraced 58-year-old physician, who was the team doctor for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, received a 175-year sentence for sexual molestation of athlete’s.

 

 

Also in that same year, USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy. Several victims blamed the gymnastics organization for failing to protect them against their offender while testifying against Nassar.

Attorney and former gymnast, Rachael Denhollander was the first woman to speak out against the former team doctor, whom she accused of abusing her in 2000 when she was a 15-year-old tumbler battling through back pain. After the settlement announcement on Monday, she tweeted her happiness.

 

“This chapter is finally closed,” Denhollander tweeted. “Now the hard work of reform and rebuilding can begin. Whether or not justice comes and change is made, depends on what happens next.”

 

The Wall Street Journal reported that TIG Insurance will pay a large amount of the settlement money awarded to victims.