According to sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly closing up on a $100 million settlement for its original decision not to pursue the passionate abuse of minors by former U.S. Olympic gymnastics team doctor Lawrence G. Nassar.
With the announcement of the resolution possible in the coming weeks, about one hundred victims are set to receive compensation, ending one of the last significant lawsuits arising from a terrible sports scandal.
While Mr. Nassar was a revered physician known for treating Olympians and collegiate athletes, a settlement is approaching two and a half years after top F.B.I. officials openly acknowledged that agents had failed to respond quickly enough in 2015 when members of the United States national team complained about him to the bureau’s Indianapolis field office. Approximately the years, approximately 150 women and girls have accused him of abusing them.
Several sources familiar with the discussions, who requested anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, said that although the deal’s general structure is in place, it has not yet been finalized.
The failure of institutions to safeguard numerous athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Aly Raisman, from a doctor who rationalized his repeated assaults by stating he was utilizing unconventional treatments has been reflected in a string of hefty payouts.
The institution that hired Mr. Nassar, Michigan State, reportedly paid over $500 million to a victim compensation fund in 2018, making it the biggest settlement ever paid by a university in an assault case. U.S.A. Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee settled for $380 million three years later.
Despite Mr. Nassar’s claims that he was providing medical treatment, many of the women and girls he molested have suffered from mental health difficulties such as
anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Tragically, several of these victims have even attempted suicide as a result of the abuse.
It was almost a year before Nassar was apprehended in 2016 when an internal inquiry determined that FBI agents had handled abuse claims by women incorrectly.
In addition to his work at USA Gymnastics in Indianapolis, Nassar was a sports doctor at Michigan State University. Under the pretense of therapy, he assaulted female athletes, including Olympic gymnasts who won medals and is now facing decades in jail for the crime.
