The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a landmark settlement of $138.7 million with victims of Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor, to address allegations of FBI misconduct in investigating claims of sexual abuse.
Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer emphasized the significance of taking allegations against Nassar seriously from the outset. The settlement, while unable to erase the harm inflicted by Nassar, aims to provide critical support to the victims in their journey toward healing, ABC News reported.
This resolution will address 139 tort claims filed against the DOJ and the FBI in 2022 by numerous athletes and patients, including prominent figures like Maggie Nichols, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney. According to NBC News, the claims sought approximately $1 billion in damages, following the DOJ's decision not to pursue criminal charges against agents criticized by the DOJ's inspector general for mishandling Nassar's case.
The inspector general's report revealed that the FBI was aware of Nassar's misconduct but failed to take action for over 14 months, during which Nassar continued to abuse numerous girls and women.
Despite Nassar's conviction in 2017 and subsequent sentencing for child pornography and sexual assault, the victims pursued justice against the institutions responsible for the mishandling of the investigation. Attorneys representing the claimants commended the settlement, emphasizing the need for federal law enforcement to learn from this failure and implement necessary changes to prevent similar injustices in the future.
The agreement marks a significant step in acknowledging the systemic failures that allowed Nassar's abuse to persist unchecked, while also providing a measure of redress for the victims who have endured unimaginable trauma.
