Simon Biles, along with three other top American players, argued for leaving the entire board of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Top athletes have requested it in a letter to Congress.
Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols say the board did not take sufficient action in the abuse case involving team doctor Larry Nassar. Gymnast Nassar abused hundreds of other gymnasts in addition to Biles, for which he was sentenced to 175 years in prison in 2018.
The gymnasts believe the USOPC made mistakes in handling the scandal and are therefore calling for their departure. The National Committee said in a response that it had already made major changes in governance.
“The letter to Congress underscores their concern and we are very encouraging victims to continue to raise awareness about these issues. We have made the most dramatic changes in governance in two decades and are fully committed to addressing sexual assault at every level in sport,” USOPC said.
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A month ago, Biles and other (former) gymnasts testified in the US Senate about the abuse. The Senate is investigating the FBI’s actions in the Nassar case. The service was going to be doing a lot of wait and see at the time.
Last month, Beals and other former gymnasts were heard as witnesses by a US Senate committee investigating possible FBI failures in Nassar’s case.
A damning report was released last July by Justice Department Inspector Horowitz. She said the FBI in Indianapolis “did not respond with the utmost seriousness and urgency to the allegations against Nassar.” The report concluded that several errors allowed the abusive sexual behavior to persist for months.
