Jordyn Wieber files lawsuit against USA Gymnastics, Michigan State

Olympics Day 4 - Gymnastics - Artistic
Olympics Day 4 - Gymnastics - Artistic

Jordyn Wieber became the latest Olympic gymnast to file a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University for the roles those two institutions played in enabling the predatory behavior of disgraced former physician Larry Nassar when she did so on Tuesday.

Wieber, 22, was a member of the gold medal-winning United States Olympic women's gymnastics team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

Of the five members who were on that team, which has been nicknamed the "Fierce Five", Wieber was the fourth to reveal that the 54-year-old Nassar sexually assaulted her under the guise of medical treatment.

McKayla Maroney broke her silence in October of 2017, followed by Aly Raisman in November and Gabby Douglas a few days later. Wieber did so earlier this year in January prior to speaking at one of Nassar's sentencing hearings in an Ingham County, Michigan courtroom in front of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina and Nassar himself.

Nassar, who was arrested in December of 2016 after roughly two decades of sexually assaulting at least 260 people under the guise of medical treatment, was sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in state prison during this sentencing hearing on seven counts of sexual assault.

This sentencing came after he was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison in December of 2017 on three child pornography charges.

Wieber was one of 156 victim, many of whom female gymnasts, who read victim impact statements at this hearing in January. Raisman also read her impact statement, and Maroney's was read on her behalf.

Nassar's third sentencing took place in February of this year, and he was sentenced to between an additional 40 and 125 years in state prison on three more sexual assault charges.

The 54-year-old is currently serving his 60-year federal prison sentence in United States Penitentiary Tucson in Tucson, Arizona, a maximum-security federal prison that offers a sex offender program.

Wieber's complaint contains 12 claims against USA Gymnastics, the United States Olympic Committee and Michigan State. Former USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny, former USA Gymnastics chairman Paul Parilla, and Nassar, who was a doctor for both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, were also named in the complaint.

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