Simone Biles and Other Olympic Gymnasts to Sue FBI for $1B Over Botched Larry Nassar Investigation
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Simone Biles and dozens of other assault victims are seeking over $1 billion from the FBI over its failure to properly handle sexual abuse allegations launched against sports doctor Larry Nassar.
In addition to Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols are other Olympic gymnasts included in the group filing.
“The FBI knew that Larry Nassar was a danger to children when his abuse of me was first reported in September of 2015,” Nichols said in a statement. “For 421 days they worked with USA Gymnastics and USOPC to hide this information from the public and allowed Nassar to continue molesting young women and girls. It is time for the FBI to be held accountable.”
The filing against the FBI comes after the Justice Department’s Inspector General determined in a July 2021 report that the FBI “failed to respond to the Nassar allegations with the utmost seriousness and urgency that they deserved and required.”
The report further states that the FBI made “numerous and fundamental errors” in its investigation into Nassar and “violated multiple FBI policies” in the process.
At least 70 gymnasts were allegedly abused between the time that the FBI was first made aware of the accusations and when Nassar was eventually removed in 2016.
FBI Director Christopher Wray addressed the failure during a September Congressional hearing.
“I’m sorry for what you and your families have been through,” Wray told the Senate judiciary committee. “I’m sorry that so many different people let you down, over and over again. And I’m especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in in 2015 and failed.”
In addition to the $1B suits, thirteen gymnasts had previously filed $130 million in claims against the FBI in April.
Manly Stewart & Finaldi, Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers, Grewal Law and Drew, Cooper & Anding, and Gruel Mills, make up the firms representing the clients in the most recent filing.
