Former U.S. Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Moroney have filed a one-billion-dollar lawsuit against the FBI for mishandling its investigation into sexual assault allegations against former US Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar.
During Nassar’s trial, it was revealed that the FBI was aware of allegations of sexual assault going back at least to 2015. Still, the Bureau did nothing about it, leaving Nassar free to continue molesting young girls for several more than a year.
Now a group of gymnasts is suing with a suit filed against the Bureau on Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported.
“It is time for the FBI to be held accountable,” said Maggie Nichols, a national champion gymnast from Oklahoma.
The FBI now has six months to answer the suit, but more lawsuits could result after the agency’s reply.
About 90 former gymnasts have joined the suit led by gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney.
“My fellow survivors and I were betrayed by every institution that was supposed to protect us — the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, the FBI and now the Department of Justice. It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process,” McKayla Maroney said in a statement.
The Michigan State sports doctor who was also the chief medical officer for USA Gymnastics was convicted of child pornography and sentenced to 60 years in prison in Dec. of 2017. And by the next month, he was also convicted of molestation and handed a hefty 175-year prison sentence.
Still, despite the massive amount of evidence, in May, the Biden Department of Justice declined to prosecute the FBI agents responsible for turning a blind eye to Nassar’s abuse.
“If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me,” University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy added.
Maroney, Biles, and others testified against the FBI for mishandling the case:
The FBI exposed covering for a serial pedophile pic.twitter.com/VglhR29KNO
— METAVERSE GRANDPA (@ElijahSchaffer) September 15, 2021
Simone Biles at Senate hearing on FBI's handling of Nassar investigation:
"I blame Larry Nassar, and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. USA Gymnastics and US Olympic & Paralympic Committee knew that I was abused by their official team doctor" pic.twitter.com/Ghm3ueLwFM
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 15, 2021
One of the two agents accused of botching the case, Michael Langeman, was fired, and the second, Jay Abbott, was allowed to retire.
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