US Olympic Sexual Abuse

The US Olympics has a history of sexual abuse and assault against its athletes. Although sexual abuse in the US Olympics was only recently brought to the public’s attention with the high-profile case involving USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, these issues go back decades. If you or a loved one was abused or assaulted by anyone connected to the US Olympics, please contact Manly, Stewart & Finaldi. Initial case evaluations with our attorneys are free and entirely confidential.

Why Hire Our Firm?

  • We can go up against any institution, including rich and powerful institutions such as the US Olympics, in pursuit of justice and closure for our clients.
  • Your lawyer will put you and your needs above all else. You will communicate with your attorney often during your case for the greatest possible peace of mind.
  • We are highly experienced in sexual abuse and assault cases. We are one of the country’s leading law firms in this practice area, with the case results to match.

The US Olympics and Sexual Abuse

The definition of sexual abuse is any sexual behavior or action by one person against another without the victim’s consent. It can refer to many different physical, verbal and visual interactions between two people, from inappropriate touching to rape. It can describe any unwanted sexual activity, whether or not it involves the use of force.

Sexual abuse is most common in relationships that involve an imbalance of power, such as the relationship between a coach and a young athlete or an adult and a child. Another example is the imbalance between Olympic athletes and the people who are in positions to get them where they want to go, such as coaches and team doctors. Sadly, some individuals and administrators within the US Olympics use their positions of power to take advantage of athletes – and the US Olympics organization willfully turns a blind eye.

Because of the failure of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and many Olympic governing bodies to protect athletes from sexual predators there have been major sexual abuse scandals involving USA Gymnastics, US Figure Skating, USA Swimming, USA Diving, USA Wrestling, USA Water Polo, USA Taekwondo and the US Equestrian Federation.

$500 Million Global Settlement Won in the Larry Nassar Case

One of the most prominent cases of sexual abuse within the US Olympics is the case against Larry Nassar. Manly, Stewart & Finaldi features the lead attorneys in the $500 million settlement against USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics team doctor. In this case, we represented 180 women, including top Olympic athletes. The allegations against Nassar were wide-ranging, but generally involved him sexually assaulting female athletes under the guise of medical treatment.

The civil lawsuit brought on behalf of Nassar’s victims sought damages for their physical ailments, emotional distress, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other losses connected to the abuse. Our attorneys fought on behalf of their clients to hold institutions, such as the USA Gymnastics organization, accountable for their failure to prevent and properly respond to accusations of sexual abuse.

The USA Gymnastics organization has a legal and ethical responsibility to protect its athletes. This involves reacting appropriately to complaints, such as by notifying the authorities and suspending the alleged perpetrator immediately. Yet, the Larry Nassar case showed that there are major failures in how the institution investigates and responds to sexual abuse and assault allegations. By ignoring sexual abuse, USA Gymnastics actively enabled the mistreatment and exploitation of its athletes for decades.

Our Sexual Abuse and Assault Attorneys Can Help You

If you or someone you know is a current or former athlete in the US Olympics who was sexually abused, please contact Manly, Stewart & Finaldi for legal assistance. Although we know that no amount of money can ever make up for what you suffered, we hope that a civil lawsuit can bring some level of peace and closure to you and your family. We also wish to pursue justice, accountability and changes on an institutional level within the US Olympics to prevent further cases of sexual abuse and assault in the future.

Find out more about how our attorneys can help you today. Call our East Coast office at (800) 700-8450, our West Coast office at (855) 964-0661 or request a free consultation online to speak to a lawyer.