In addition to the 100+ girls who were molested by the USA gymnastics team doctor, there were many reports of pedophile coaches brought to the US Gymnastics Association. They did nothing.

How have they not been sued out of existence?

I feel badly for all of the victims and their families, but there is one thing I do not understand.

There are parents whose children told them they were being molested, and the parents did not believe them. One mother saw this doctor give her daughter a vaginal "exam" without wearing gloves, and this did not sound an alarm?

It's not 1955. How can it be that parents are still disbelieving their child's report of sexual abuse?

The latest is that the Karyoli ranch where much of the abuse happened will no longer be used as the national training facility. Good. I never liked those Bella. Something always seemed a little off -- he hasn't been accused of sexual misconduct, but there was plenty there not to like for other reasons.

Like asking "How is Hollywood still in business."

Wonder how many of the girls told their parents. Molesters are good at knowing how to keep kids quiet.

At the sentencing, some parents said they carry guilty because they didn’t believe their kid.

Good. Let them carry the guilt.
Hope people become more likely to report sexual assault, but I don't expect the current wave of reporting to last.

Michigan State Gymnastics Coach Resigns

I figured this would happen sooner rather than later. Her initial attempts to deflect and rationalize weren't working.

Victim's Slam MSU Coach

In a past life, I worked for a counseling service - and I was amazed that parents didn't' believe their children on sexual abuse issues.

That disbelief was often as damaging as the abuse itself.

As awful as this situation is ... and it's terrible ... the heading of the thread doesn't make sense.

"How is USA Gymnastics still in business?"

Because it's essential (at least as far as Olympic gymnastics goes).

It's like asking how the Air Force stayed in existence after Tailhook.

If USA Gymnastics were sued out of existence, it could go bankrupt, I suppose ... and then USofA Gymnastics would replace it the next day, if not sooner.

The real question is what sorts of reforms are needed, given that an organization like USA Gymnastics ... either it or a successor ... will be around for the foreseeable future.

One tweet I saw that had me cheering.

McKayla Maroney apparently settled with USA Gymnastics for a low seven-figure number. As part of that settlement, she signed an NDA. There's a clause in that NDA setting forth a financial penalty for violation. $100,000, I heard.

Maroney apparently violated it.

Chrissy Teigen, on Twitter, cheered her on, and said that she'd pay the penalty for her.

Well, there are a lot of questions that need answering, including how it is that USA Gymnastics has not been sued into bankruptcy. Who knows, maybe that is coming?

I think the same was asked about the Catholic Church, and some thought they should be sued out of existence. People sure tried.

That the Church could have re-organized after bankruptcy kind of wasn't the point.

This may be one of those times when it pays to be somewhat less literal.

quote:

Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
One tweet I saw that had me cheering.

McKayla Maroney apparently settled with USA Gymnastics for a low seven-figure number. As part of that settlement, she signed an NDA. There's a clause in that NDA setting forth a financial penalty for violation. $100,000, I heard.

Maroney apparently violated it.

Chrissy Teigen, on Twitter, cheered her on, and said that she'd pay the penalty for her.

I heard the non-disclosure agreement penalty may be unenforceable due to a change in law?

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
Well, there are a lot of questions that need answering, including how it is that USA Gymnastics has not been sued into bankruptcy. Who knows, maybe that is coming?

I think the same was asked about the Catholic Church, and some thought they should be sued out of existence. People sure tried.

That the Church could have re-organized after bankruptcy kind of wasn't the point.

This may be one of those times when it pays to be somewhat less literal.

You asked a question. I thought the question was a stupid question. So I said so and explained why it was a stupid question.

Perhaps you could explain what the value is in putting USA Gymnastics out of business as a matter of vengeance when USofA Gymnastics would be started, and in fact would need to be started, immediately thereafter.

Did you advocate putting the Air Force out of business after Tailhook? Do you think there are a substantial number of Catholics who think it would be a good idea to put the Catholic Church out of business, only to be replaced by the Catholica Church?

Hold the miscreants responsible. Make restitution (as the organization did to Maroney) to the extent possible. But killing the organization for the sake of killing the organization ... when it's all form over substance, and when it would be replaced the next day ... makes no sense at all.

Now, if the organization runs of out money and goes into bankruptcy because of all the payouts it has to make, OK. I don't have a problem with that, even if a new organization with a similar purpose (and likely many of the same key players) were to pop up to take its place.

Why doesn't the US Olympic committee disbar them (or whatever the right term is). That's the issue (and what I think Cindy was questioning).

She's not alone in raising that question.

I can only assume it's due to the intense cronyism that's been driving USOC and international decisions for decades. Makes me want to hurl, and not a javelin.

Right, Nina. What Quirt is missing is that getting USA gymnastics out of existence such that a new entity is formed and takes over is *exactly* what needs to happen. It doesn't matter whether that happens in an avalanche of lawsuits, or more formal means.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/0...nastics-raisman.html

From the article:

"So why, amid what is one of the worst sexual-abuse scandals in sports history — one much bigger than the Penn State scandal that took down the longtime football coach Joe Paterno, an athletic director and a university president — hasn’t the Olympic committee fully held the gymnastics federation accountable for its incompetence?

The Olympic committee should decertify U.S.A. Gymnastics, stripping it of its powers as a national governing body, because the federation has failed at its most essential duty: to protect young athletes. Decertification is the most drastic thing the Olympic committee can do, and the nuclear option is warranted."

. . . .

"A majority of the gymnastics federation’s officials and board members have remained in their posts throughout the Nassar scandal, even though many of the women molested by Dr. Nassar — including the Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman — have repeatedly called for the officials to step down or be removed."

The Penn State scandal involved one coach and 14 boys. The gymnastics scandal involves over 100 girls and *several* coaches. Nassar is NOT the only one. The organization was more worried about the reputation of the sport and coaches than the safety of the under-age athletes.

This whole thing blew up in the middle of last year. Yet heads haven't rolled?

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
Right, Nina. What Quirt is missing is that getting USA gymnastics out of existence such that a new entity is formed and takes over is *exactly* what needs to happen. It doesn't matter whether that happens in an avalanche of lawsuits, or more formal means.

I'm not missing it. I just think it's a stupid idea. As stupid as getting rid of the Navy would have been after Tailhook.

It serves a useful and necessary purpose. Getting rid of an organization just to replace it with a mirror organization? Form over substance. Stupid.