Category: safety

McKayla Maroney can speak

USA Gymnastics said Tuesday evening it will not pursue any money from McKayla Maroney if she speaks publicly about alleged abuse. …

Maroney, who first shared her story via Twitter, signed a nondisclosure agreement in December 2016, agreeing to stay quiet about the abuse she experienced as part of a $1.25 million settlement with USA Gymnastics, part of which she said would be used for psychological treatment. …

USA Today 

That’s the right thing to do … regardless of the motivations of USAG. And their lawyers.

The wrong thing to do was to enter into that agreement with McKayla in the first place.

Paul Ziert posted a response from USAG:

In 2016, McKayla Maroney’s attorney at the time, Gloria Allred, approached USA Gymnastics, requesting that the organization participate in a confidential mediation process.

The concept of confidentiality was initiated by McKayla’s attorney, not USA Gymnastics. …

The settlement was paid fully from insurance policy proceeds. The individuals in the chain of approval were: USA Gymnastics leadership (Paul Parillla, Board chair; Steve Penny, CEO); Peggy Holm, USA Gymnastics defense counsel; and a representative of the insurance carrier. …

read the full statement

To me and to everyone I’ve talked to that agreement looks like hush money.

USAG needs show evidence that the FBI directed them to stay silent. Otherwise a payoff to one athlete — especially if at cost to other victims after that payoff — is a cover-up.

mainstream media world-wide covering Nassar

Gymnastics is in the headlines everywhere.

How many parents in future are going to avoid the sport for their children, … just in case?  🙁

On the up side, children who do participate in Gymnastics should be safer. Education programs will be emphasizing coaching ethics and child safety.

The rule of two. (Or Three.) Here’s the Coaching Association of Canada version:

…  calls for at least two screened and National Coaching Certification Program-certified coaches to be present with an athlete, especially a minor athlete, when the athletes is in a potentially vulnerable situation.

Of course some of the mainstream media doesn’t understand Gymnastics. But they do understand headlines.

I messaged Dr. JONATHAN LAPOOK of CBS NEWS yesterday explaining they had the headline wrong. Nassar was a doctor, never a coach.

They still hadn’t fixed their mistake as of today. No response from Lapook.

Craig Heap on the Ranch

Click PLAY or watch the BBC commentator on Twitter.

Aly Raisman says USAG does not care

Click PLAY or watch her interview on Twitter.

One positive note, USAG President Kerry Perry attended the Nassar sentencing today.

Simone #MeToo

Nassar is the horror story that never ends.

Why hasn’t the Ranch been abandoned?

related – Jamie Dantzscher & Rachael Denhollander call for removal of USA Gymnastics leaders, saying they didn’t do enough to stop sexual abuse

Marcia Frederick accuses coach Rick Carlson

#MeToo

More than two years since Frederick filed a formal complaint with USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, alleging sexual misconduct by Carlson the organization still hasn’t taken action against the coach. …

The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal became public in 2011 when three women told the Orange County Register that former U.S. national team coach Don Peters had sex with three teenage gymnasts in the 1980s. Peters was banned for life by USA Gymnastics in November 2011 and removed from the sport’s Hall of Fame. Peters did not contest the ban. …

Peters was Frederick’s coach when she won her world title. Frederick said she was not sexually abused by Peters. …

Marcia Frederick, first U.S. Gymnastics world champion, shares story of abuse

If you don’t know Marcia, watch her gold medal winning Bars at 1978 Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via GymCastic)

easing military tensions on the Korean peninsula

If North Korea participates in the Winter Olympics, it will be a truce. And — perhaps — the beginning of improved communication / cooperation.

IOC to convene Olympic participation meeting with North, South Korea

Number of North Korean athletes, issues over flags and anthems to be discussed

Heart this cartoon on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/joehoffecker/status/951817117468422144

I’ve not heard of any athlete refusing to go for reasons of personal safety.

The U.S. Olympic Committee is committed to compete though a few American politicians have discussed boycott.

OU: We stand beside Maggie

Collegiate gymnast breaks silence about sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor

 It’s not easy putting your name into the headlines. I respect the courage of Maggie and all those who have come forward. They want to make sure this can never happen again to gymnasts in future.

 

Her Mom has been making TV appearances. VERY unhappy with USA Gymnastics and MSU.

USA Gymnastics is liable

I can’t arrive at any other conclusion.

According to court filings and interviews, it was Nichols and her coach, Sarah Jantzi, who reported Nassar to USA Gymnastics officials on June 17, 2015, after the coach overheard Maggie and another gymnast talking about Nassar’s behavior. …

Jantzi reported her concerns to USA Gymnastics women’s program director Rhonda Faehn and to Maggie’s mother, Gina.

According to the complaint, then–USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny “discouraged [Gina and John Nichols, Maggie’s parents] from reporting Nassar’s conduct to law enforcement and pressured them to keep the matter quiet.” …

Sometime between June 21 and July 2, USA Gymnastics brought on Fran Sepler, an expert on workplace harassment with experience interviewing children in sexual assault cases, to interview Maggie. …

In a statement to SI, Penny’s lawyers said, “The matter was reported to the FBI on Monday, July 27, 2015, and [chairman of USA Gymnastics] Mr. Parilla and Mr. Penny met with the FBI on July 28. …

USA Gymnastics did not contact MSU or the Michigan-based gymnastics club Twistars whose athletes were also treated by Nassar. The national governing body is currently contending in court that it did not have a responsibility to inform either MSU or Twistars of allegations against Nassar.

The Nichols family says it was not contacted by the FBI until July 2016, nearly a year after Maggie had come forward …

At least 19 people whose treatment occurred between the time Maggie spoke to USA Gymnastics and the time she was interviewed by the FBI have filed civil complaints against Nassar. …

Sports Illustrated

If you are one of those 19 people you have to ask why Nassar wasn’t stopped sooner? 😦

Yesterday USAG responded:

Contrary to reported accusations, USA Gymnastics never attempted to hide Nassar’s misconduct. The suggestion by plaintiff’s counsel John Manly, who indicates that he is representing Maggie, that USA Gymnastics tried to silence athletes or keep the investigation secret to avoid headlines before the Rio Olympics and to protect Los Angeles’ Olympic bid is entirely baseless. USA Gymnastics kept the matter confidential because of the FBI’s directive not to interfere with the investigation. …

Has the FBI confirmed? I assume directives like that are put on paper.

Still … USAG paid McKayla Maroney $1.25 million to keep quiet in late 2016. How is that not trying to cover up the crimes of their former team doctor?

In the end, this will be decided in a court of law. Unless USA Gymnastics goes bankrupt first.