The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday it reached a $138.7 million settlement with victims of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
The settlement resolves 139 claims from victims of the former Michigan State doctor after they accused the FBI of mishandling abuse accusations against Nassar, according to the DOJ press release. The DOJ’s Inspector General released a report in 2021 criticizing the FBI’s handling of the investigation into the victim’s claims.
“For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said. “These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing.”
DOJ paying $138M for mishandling Nassar case pic.twitter.com/hRHpJlxH67
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) April 23, 2024
As the official doctor for the USA Gymnastics team, Nassar abused hundreds of young girls for two decades up until his 2016 arrest, according to the press release. (DOJ Investigating How FBI Handled Allegations Against Nassar)
A judge sentenced Nassar to 60 years in prison for possession of child pornography in 2017. A Michigan then judge sentenced him to between 40 and 175 years in 2018 for sexual assault. (RELATED: DOJ Confirms Decision Not To Charge Agents Who Mishandled Larry Nassar Allegations)
More than 150 women testified against Nassar during his 2018 trial.
Some of his high-profile alleged victims included members of the 2012 “Fierce Five” USA Olympic Gymnastic team, including Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.