US gymnasts seek $1 billion in damages

Olympic and world champions and dozens of American gymnasts are accusing the FBI of negligence in the investigation against doctor Larry Nassar, who abused them for decades.

Four-time gold medalist Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and other American gymnasts filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the FBI on Wednesday over flaws in the sexual assault investigation by former team doctor Larry Nassar.

Nassar, 58, is serving a life sentence after being found guilty between 2017 and 2018 of sexually assaulting athletes while working as a physician at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. The law firm handling the case said in a statement that Biles, Raisman and Maroney are among more than 90 women who have filed a federal lawsuit against the FBI.

The law firm said that in July 2015 the FBI received credible allegations of Nassar’s sexual assaults, and was “then able to immediately end Nassar’s looting.”

“However, the FBI has been grossly negligent in its duties in refusing to meet with gymnasts who were willing to speak out publicly about the violations,” he said. As a result, Nassar continued his aggressive behavior, sexually assaulting nearly 90 young women and girls between July 28, 2015 and September 12, 2016.

The lawsuit against the FBI comes just days after the Justice Department said it would not file charges against two retired FBI agents who mishandled the Nassar investigation.

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