There’s not a person alive who doesn’t know the name Larry Nassar. And the horrific sexual crimes he committed against young, world class female athletes on the USA Olympic gymnastics team.
In this special Network TV show of “Justice in America – The USA Olympic Sex Scandals” our investigative team focuses, not just only what happened to these criminal perpetrators, like Larry Nassar, and other coaches, but also what happened to their victims, and how “Sometimes in life we meet our destiny on the road we saw to avoid it”
And how the law firm of Manly Stewart Finaldi not only got Justice for hundreds of innocent , dedicated, world class athletes, but also demanded that changes be implemented at the highest levels of the USA Olympics, so this never happens again
But Just in case there are those few who do not know the detailed facts of these horrific sex scandal we will briefly share with you the highlights of these cases
The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal relates to the sexual abuse of hundreds of gymnasts—primarily minors—over two decades in the United States, starting in the 1990s. It is considered the largest sexual abuse scandal in sports history.
More than 500 athletes were sexually assaulted by gym owners, coaches, and staff working for gymnastics programs across the country, including USA Gymnastics (USAG) and Michigan State University (MSU).
Hundreds of them sued USAG, and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC, later USOPC), And Michigan State University which settled the suits in 2018 and 2021 for a total of nearly $900 million.
The breadth of the abuses was first revealed by The Indianapolis Star, which reported in September 2016 that “predatory coaches were allowed to move from gym to gym, undetected by a lax system of oversight, or dangerously passed on by USA Gymnastics-certified gyms”.
Coaches and officials perpetrated, facilitated, or worked to conceal abuse in Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Rhode Island, Indiana, and elsewhere. FBI agents declined to investigate early allegations of abuse, then lied about it, according to a U.S. Justice Department report.
And as a result of the FBI’s refusal to investigate on these allegations and protect these young athletes, estimates range from at least 70- 120, more victims were sexually assaulted by Nassar, according to the DOJ IG report.
In April and June 2022, 103 victims of Nassar sued the FBI for a total of $1.13 billion under the Federal Tort Claims Act for the FBI’s false statements and inaction. In May 2022, the Department of Justice refused to arrest any FBI agent that was involved in the failure to investigate for 14 months.
The Justice Department has reached a $138.7 million settlement with more than 100 victims of disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar over the FBI’s initial failures in investigating the sexual assault case.
Leaders of USAG, MSU, and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC, later USOPC) ultimately resigned; several coaches and officials faced criminal charges.
The central figure was Larry Nassar, a national-team doctor for USAG and osteopathic physician in MSU’s athletic department. More than 265 women said Nassar had sexually abused them under the pretense of providing medical treatment.
In 2017 and 2018, Nassar pleaded guilty to federal charges of child pornography and state charges of first-degree sexual assault; he received sentences of 60 years in prison plus another 80 to 300 years.
Dozens of officials at USAG, USOC, and MSU resigned under pressure or were fired. Some faced criminal charges, though few were convicted.
The scandal led to the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, which directed the creation of the U.S. Center for SafeSport.
Media reporting of this scandal led to a series of Congressional hearings which resulted in the passage of the Empowering Olympic Athletes Act of 2020.
In 2018, MSU agreed to pay $500 million to settle lawsuits accusing university leaders, including its president and athletic director, of enabling Nassar’s abuse. In 2021, the USOPC and USAG settled lawsuits brought by more than 500 athletes for $380 million
Manly, Stewart and Finaldi were lead counsel representing victims of Larry Nassar. They recovered $ 880 million for his victims in combined settlements against MSU, USAG and USOPC.
Manly, Stewart and Finaldi also represented 18 young women who were molested as minors by former USA Water Polo coach Barham Hojreh and recovered a nearly $19 million in settlements against USA Water Polo and two school districts where Hojreh also coached. Hojreh was convicted on 23 counts of sexual abuse and sentenced to more than 18 years in prison in 2023.
Manly, Stewart and Finaldi secured a $31-million settlement on behalf of 25 current and former high school age athletes who were molested by former USA Wrestling and Torrance High School coach Thomas Snider. He was convicted of 29 felony counts of lewd acts with children and eight misdemeanor counts of molestation and sentenced to 69 years to life in prison.
Manly, Stewart and Finaldi also secured a $1.5 million settlement to Adam Schmidt, who filed a lawsuit alleging the organization was negligent in failing to protect him from sexual abuse as a minor from renowned Olympic coach Richard Callahan. Schmidt also received a 1.75 million settlement from the Michigan skating rink where he said the abuse took place.
In this Insider Exclusive, “Justice in America” Network TV Special, “JUSTICE IN AMERICA – The USA Olympics Sex Abuse Scandals”, our news team is on location with John Manly, lead attorney on the Larry Nassar cases. Morgan Stewart, Lead attorney USA Water Polo and wrestling cases. And Saul Wolf, attorney on US Figure Skating case to show how they battled the true Goliaths of the legal world, for over 5 years, to get justice for their outstanding and deserving clients.
They have earned reputations as unyielding trial lawyers who repeatedly represent individuals and families against big companies and the Goliaths of the world. And repeatedly win.
You can get more information on Manly, Stewart & Finaldi @ https://www.manlystewart.com/