Gymnast McKayla Maroney recently detailed her abuse by Dr. Larry Nassar as part of the #MeToo movement. In a lawsuit filed against USA Gymnastics (USAG) on Wednesday in Los Angeles, Maroney’s lawyer John Manly says that USA Gymnastics paid Maroney to keep quiet about Nassar’s actions.
Lawsuit says USA Gymnastics paid McKayla Maroney to keep quiet about sexual abuse
A lawsuit alleges USA Gymnastics paid the gymnast to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The lawsuit alleges USA Gymnastics paid the gymnast to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), preventing her from speaking about the abuse, per ESPN.
Non-disclosure agreements in cases of child sex abuse are not enforceable under California state law.
While the suit acknowledges that Maroney entered the non-disclosure agreement willingly, it notes that she was in a compromised mental state due to the abuse she suffered.
“I want people to understand that this kid had no choice. She couldn’t function. She couldn’t work,” Manly said. “They [USAG] were willing to sacrifice the health and well-being of one of the most famous gymnasts in the world because they didn’t want the world to know they were protecting a pedophile doctor.”
Maroney chose to breach her NDA when she detailed the abuse in October, but Manly isn’t concerned about the possibility of a counter-suit by USAG because the agreement, Manly argues, was illegal to begin with.
“Confidentiality agreements in child sex abuse cases are unlawful in the state of California and have been for years,” Manly said. “We’re basically saying USAG and its lawyers violated the law by asking McKayla to agree to it and that she should be free to talk about her abuse to whomever she wants, whenever she wants.”
Dr. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct while serving as the USAG lead doctor. Survivors have detailed how he masqueraded his abuse of the athletes as “treatment,” with medalists Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas sharing stories that echoed those of Maroney.
The suit filed says that Nassar first abused Maroney when she was 13 years old.
A statement by Maroney’s mother, which was read in federal court, said that Nassar also took photographs of the athlete during the abuse, and the family fears the doctor could have circulated the images prior to his arrest. USAG has not responded to Maroney’s suit at this time. In an email response on Wednesday, USAG VP of Communications Leslie King wrote that the organization did not have a statement at this time, but would provide one when available.
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