USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, the latest blow for the governing body as it struggles to recover from the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
The filing “will enable USA Gymnastics to continue to support its athletes, to fully operate and meet its responsibilities to the entire membership and to expeditiously resolve the claims made by the survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar,” USAG said.
Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics physician, was sentenced in January to 40 to 175 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual misconduct.
Before the sentencing, more than 150 women and girls said in court that Nassar had sexually abused them under the guise of providing medical treatment.
With 200,000 members, USAG has had a great deal of turnover in its top leadership this year — even though some of the officials didn’t start until after Nassar’s abuse came to light:
• In March 2017, CEO Steve Penny resigned. He was arrested this year on suspicion of removing documents related to the Nassar sexual abuse case from a gymnastics training facility in Texas.
• In January, the entire USA Gymnastics board resigned over the Nassar scandal. A new 15-member board took over in June.
• In May, Rhonda Faehn, the head of the USA Gymnastics’ women’s program, left. The organization didn’t say why.
• In August, after just three days on the job, elite development coordinator Mary Lee Tracy resigned after she “inappropriately contacted a (Nassar) survivor” who had criticized her, USA Gymnastics said.
• In September, CEO Kerry Perry resigned after nine months. Critics said Perry failed to take adequate action during the Nassar fallout and gave boilerplate soundbites when asked for solutions.
• In October, former US Rep. Mary Bono resigned as interim president and CEO after less than a week on the job. She was embroiled in two controversies during her first few days in office.
• And in November, USAG’s longtime chief operating officer Ron Galimore resigned. USAG did not respond to CNN’s questions about why Galimore left.
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