As a four-day hearing centered on nearly 100 allegations of sexual abuse against former Michigan State University and Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar continues to unfold, USA Gymnastics has announced it will not fine former gymnast McKayla Maroney if she speaks out against Nassar in court.
This news, reported by USA Today, comes after a revelation that USA Gymnastics had Maroney sign a nondisclosure agreement in December 2016 as part of a $1.25 million settlement to be used for "psychological treatment." In essence, it means USA Gymnastics, which fired Nassar amid dozens of abuse allegations against the doctor, will waive $100,000 fines that would have been issued to Maroney had she spoken publicly about Nassar's activity.
"USA Gymnastics has not sought and will not seek any money from McKayla Maroney for her brave statements made in describing her victimization and abuse by Larry Nassar, nor for any victim impact statements she wants to make to Larry Nassar at this hearing or at any subsequent hearings related to his sentencing," the organization told USA Today.
The announcement also comes in the wake of criticism from Aly Raisman, another USA Gymnastics standout who, like Maroney, publicly accused Nassar of abuse.
Raisman did not attend the first day of Nassar's hearing but suggested in an interview with "Outside the Lines" on Tuesday that USA Gymnastics never prioritized concerns about the doctor's abusive behavior as much as it did "their reputation, the medals they win and the money they make off us."
"[USA Gymnastics'] biggest priority from the beginning, and still today, is their reuptuation, the medals they win, and the money they make off of us. I don’t think that they care." -@Aly_Raisman pic.twitter.com/RWUiyHG1iT
— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) January 16, 2018
Other women, many of whom did not compete as Olympic gymnasts but still accused Nassar of sexual assault, criticized both Michigan State and USA Gymnastics at Tuesday's hearing for "failing to acknowledge the mistakes they made before and after the scandal broke."
This week's hearing, which opened with impact statements about everything from accounts of abuse dating back to when one victim was just 6 years old to suggestions that Nassar's actions prompted one victim's father to commit suicide, comes a month after Nassar's 60-year sentencing for possession of child pornography. At the time, reports indicated that a "shockingly large" possession of more than 37,000 illegal videos and images had been discovered in his possession.
