August 9, 2024 • 32 mins
Join host Jay Harris as he unravels the unsettling continuation of the Larry Nassar scandal in competitive gymnastics. Probe into the harrowing aftermath of Nassar’s conviction, revealing the cascade of institutional failures that allowed his crimes to go unchecked.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. I'm Jay Harris,
your faithful host in Barista, always committed to serving up
in depth scandalous stories that truly matter. I'm a veteran
ESPN sportscaster, but it can be tough even for me
to swallow some of the tales from the dark side
of sports. Last week I'm Playing Dirty, I poured part
(00:36):
one of a stomach turning cocktail featuring Larry Nasser, the
doctor of sports medicine who abused his respected position at
several institutions by sexually assaulting hundreds of young female athletes. Ultimately,
Larry received an historic sentence of up to one hundred
and seventy five years in jail for his heinous crimes. Today,
we're going to pick up at that pivotal moment, reviewing
(00:58):
how Larry nasser Is appalling actions were systematically and outrageously
overlooked until his victims bravely took matters into their own hands.
These women, who had had their trust abused and in
many cases, their lives destroyed because of Larry Naster's assaults,
stood up one by one, addressing him face to face
(01:20):
in a lengthy four day sentencing hearing. You might remember
from last week's episode that Larry had the gall to
complain to Judge rose Marie Aquillina that he doubted his
ability to mentally endure hearing his victim's impact statements. She
shut down his whimper point blank, stating, you spent thousands
of hours perpetrating sexual assault on miners and asserting that
(01:42):
he should and would be capable of withstanding a few
days of listening to the women he had harmed so terribly,
and so he did. Dressed in a faded blue jail
jumpsuit and orange crocs, Larry Naster was confronted by his
young victims. So many came forward that ultimately his four
day sentencing was extended to seven days to give each
(02:04):
young woman the opportunity to take a measure of power
back from him, starting with Kyle Stevens, who courageously looked
him in the eye on day one and said, little
girls don't stay little forever that grow into strong women
that returned to destroy your world. To Rachel Dinelander, who
closed out the victim statements on day seven, asking the
(02:25):
court room how much is a little girl worth? Larry's
sentencing process was visceral, dramatic and incredibly moving, And so
even as Judge rose Marie Aquilina handed down Larry Nasser's
historic one hundred and seventy five year jail sentence, the
movement that his victims had sparked rightfully demanded more. After all,
(02:49):
his crimes had not happened in a vacuum. Rachel Dinnelander,
whose experience with Larry Nassar spurred her on to become
a lawyer for survivors of sexual abuse, demand that the
institutions that had emboldened a pedophile be held accountable. She
detailed systemic failures to the court room, especially when it
came to Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. This is
(03:13):
what it looks like when institutions create a culture where
a predator can flourish, unafraid and unabated, she declared. The
court heard Rachel Denilander and all of Larry's victims, who
repeatedly called out these institutions' failures, and so did the public.
As Larry Nassar's criminal case closed, it was inevitable that
(03:35):
attention would turn toward MSU and USA Gymnastics. Michigan State
University was deeply embroiled in the scandal, and its reckoning
started at the top. On January twenty fourth, twenty eighteen,
leu Anna Simon, the president of the university, stepped down
(03:56):
under a cloud of criticism. Her resignation letters smacked of insincerity,
making a point to minimize her own responsibility for what
had happened to MSU's athletes. As tragedies are politicized, blame
is inevitable. Lou Anna Simon penned, as president, it is
only natural that I am the focus of this anger.
(04:16):
Lou Anna Simon was positioning her resignation as an institutional favor,
as if she was taking one for the team, rather
than acknowledging the horror that had transpired under her leadership.
The collegiate athletes who had suffered abuse at Larry Nasser's
hands were not impressed. Survivor Larissa Boyce, the young MSU
gymnasts who had reported Larry Nasser all the way back
(04:38):
in nineteen ninety seven, was especially outraged when she asked
lou Anna Simon to attend her testimony at Larry Nasser's hearing,
only to have the former university president decline to appear.
I asked lou Anna Simon to be here for my statement,
Larissa Boyce told the court. She told me she could
not fit it into her schedule. To Larissa and the
(05:00):
other MSU athletes, lou Anna Simon's failure to attend the
sentencing of Larry Nassar was just one more piece of
evidence that Michigan State University didn't care about its female
students and the repeated violations they had suffered at the
hands of the university's now infamous employee. The outrage was palpable,
(05:21):
and more heads were destined to roll. Lou Anna Simon's
perfunctory resignation marked the beginning of a series of high
profile departures and legal repercussions from Michigan State University staff
members who had failed to act when confronted about Larry
Nassar's predations. Kathy Klegus, the former gymnastics coach at MSU,
was next up. She was convicted on two counts for
(05:43):
lying to the police about her knowledge of Larry Nasser's activities.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the determination, stating that
miss Kleggus could and should have acted on complaints about
Larry Nasser. Decades ago. That is a failure on multiple levels,
but none is more important than her failure to protect
the young women who had the courage to speak up
(06:06):
decades ago and the hundreds who became Nasar's victims after that.
The next MSU employee on the chopping block was William's Strample,
Larry Nasser's former boss and the dean of the College
of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition to being arrested and charged
with neglective duty at the administrative level in Larry Nasser's
chain of supervision, prosecutors alleged that he had personally used
(06:29):
his role as dean to take advantage of female students.
As reported by the Detroit News, William was said to
have made sexually inappropriate remarks when he privately met with
students to discuss academic issues. For instance, he allegedly told
one woman that she needed to dress sexier to make
it in medicine, and some students perceived his comments as
(06:50):
offers of help in exchange for sexual favors. In fact,
a few students alleged that William Strample had even said
heeding women who put out for older men for gifts.
Talk about a serious ick factor William was sent to
jail for a year and eleven months. Underscoring the hot
water bubbling away at MSU. Bob Noto, Michigan State University's
(07:14):
long standing VP of Legal Affairs, then departed under pressure,
along with Athletics Director Mark Hollis and Provost June Ewitt.
This cleaning of the house under duress at MSU coincided
with the racking up of some very hefty bills. The
US Education Department fined at Michigan State University four point
five million dollars in September twenty nineteen for failing to
(07:37):
respond to sexual assault complaints against Larry Nasser, and ultimately
MSU ended up agreeing to a staggering five hundred million
dollars settlement to compensate survivors. This was one of the
largest sexual abuse settlements in history and a public admission
of the university's failure to protect its students. As reported
(07:59):
by the Associated Press, Brian Breslin, the chairman of the
Michigan State University's governing board, went on the record with
the statement, we are truly sorry to all the survivors
and their families for what they have been through, and
we admire the courage it has taken to tell their stories.
We recognize the need for change on our campus and
in our community around sexual assault awareness and prevention. As
(08:24):
of mid twenty eighteen, however, Trailblazer's survivor, Rachel Dinelander, told
the AP that while the settlement quote reflects the incredible
damage which took place on MSU's campus, she had still
not seen any meaningful reform at the university. In the
subsequent six years since Rachel's assessment, MSU has purported to
(08:44):
overhaul its approach to handling sexual assault allegations. They've revamped
their Title nine processes to ensure more thorough investigations and
fair outcomes, and the university claims that there's a new
emphasis on transparency and ongoing training for staff and students,
aiming to equip everyone on campus to better recognize and
(09:05):
respond to sexual misconduct. Time will tell if these measures
prove adequate for student safety, but as recently as July
twenty nine, twenty twenty three, The Independent reported on another
lawsuit lodged against MSU by Larry Nasser's victims. This time,
survivors accused the university of holding secret votes that led
(09:27):
to MSU's refusal to hand over more than six thousand
documents to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office related to
the case. That sure doesn't sound like a new emphasis
on transparency, does it. The victims made clear that they
were not seeking more money by filing the additional lawsuit. Rather,
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A zam Elder, an attorney representing the victims, issued a
press release saying, we contend that MSU board members made
a behind closed doors, secret decision not to release the
records in blatant violation of the Open Meetings Act. They
followed that up with violations of the Freedom of Information
Act when we requested emails that might show they discussed
(10:08):
and made a closed door decision on the matter in
violation of law. Since she was unable to get the
documents from Michigan State University, Attorney General Dana Nessil had
no choice but to end her probe in twenty twenty one.
This is what it prompted the victims to again seek
legal recourse. They demanded accountability from the university and its
(10:28):
elected trustee board, pressing for the release of the six
thousand documents, and finally, on December fifteenth, twenty twenty three,
they achieved a real result when the Michigan State University
Board of Trustees voted unanimously to release the previously privileged
documents related to the Larry Nasser investigation. The students, the
(10:49):
MSU community at large, and most importantly, the victims of
Larry Nasser have long been owed this transparency. Attorney General
Dana Nessl said, I am encouraged to see the MSU
Board of Trustees finally make the right decision on a
long promised and long delayed measure of transparency. Just as
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Michigan State University was grappling with the fallout from the
Larry Naser scandal, USA Gymnastics found itself in the eye
of the same storm. It was difficult for the organization
to find a path forward amidst so many horrific allegations
rocking its foundation, and as MSU had discovered, there was
no way around and administrative purge. So Steve Penny, the
(11:33):
president and CEO of USA Gymnastics since two thousand and five,
stepped down in March twenty seventeen under mounting pressure over
the mishandling of the Larry Nasser in allegations. According to CNN,
He announced his resignation during a USA Gymnastics Board of
Director's conference call, explaining that my decision to step aside
his CEO is solely to support the best interests of
(11:56):
USA Gymnastics at this time. He also added that he
was heartbroken to hear of instances of alleged abuse, saying
it sickens me that young athletes would be exploited in
such a manner. Steve Penny's departure triggered a domino effect,
culminating in the entire USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, resigning
by January twenty eighteen at the behest of an unrelenting
(12:21):
US Olympic Committee which was determined to see accountability and reform. But,
as with Michigan State University's cleanse, the dominoes continued to
tumble at USA Gymnastics. The hot glare of public attention
turned to the Coroli Ranch in Texas, the storied national
(12:42):
training center run by the legendary Bella and Marta Coroli.
Known for its rigorous training regimes, the ranch also became
a site where many of Larry Nasher's abuses were perpetrated.
You may remember some of the heartbreaking personal stories from
gymnasts in the last episode of Playing Dirty out their
time at the Corolyi Ranch. The isolated setting of the
(13:03):
Coroli Ranch contributed to this toxic culture, where young gymnasts
felt they had nowhere to turn, their voices stifled under
the weight of authority and expectation. The State of Texas,
led by Governor Greg Abbott, initiated an investigation into the
ranch to unearth any negligence or possible complicity by the
Corolis in the Larry Nasar scandal. Meanwhile, the recently resigned
(13:28):
USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny found himself drawn back into
the spotlight when he was arrested in October twenty eighteen
on charges of tampering with evidence. He was accused of
orchestrating the removal of documents from the Coroli Ranch to
shield USA Gymnastics from further scrutiny. As reported by ESPN,
(13:49):
Steve Penny was aware in November twenty sixteen of a
criminal investigation into Naser's serial sexual assault on Team USA
gymnasts at the famed Coroli Ranch near Huntsville, Texas, when
he ordered USA Gymnastics employees at the ranch to remove
any documents related to Nasser. Former USAG national team travel
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manager Amy White told attorneys investigating the case on behalf
of the United States Olympic Committee that Penny had ordered
her to refuse investigators access to the ranch when they
first showed up on November eighth, twenty sixteen. Ammy White
told investigators Steve Penny then instructed her that same day
to go to a local department store to purchase a
(14:32):
suitcase large enough to take medical forms, rooming lists, flash drives,
and anything else with Naser's name on it to the
USA Gymnastics headquarters in Indianapolis. Amy White told investigators she
complied with Steve Penny's instructions, flying to Indianapolis with the
evidence before officers showed up the next day with a
(14:52):
search warrant. Have you ever heard the saying it's the
cover up, not the crime, Well, now you know it's
a saying for a reason. By April twenty twenty two,
Steve Penny had managed to secure a highly controversial dismissal
in Walker County, Texas, with the court deciding insufficient evidence
to prosecute Larry Nasser's victims. Disagreed with former national team
(15:16):
member Maggie Nicholls's father, John, expressing his frustration to ESPN
reporters John Barr and Dan Murphy, Steve Penny misled us
from the very beginning, John Nichols insisted, if no other
than Larry Nasser is held accountable at USA Gymnastics, what's
going to stop this from happening again? John Nicholls's question
was solid, and he had an army of survivors and
(15:39):
their family members demanding inappropriate answer. The lawsuits against USA
Gymnastics piled up, brought forth by overall hundred of Larry
Nasser's victims, including many Olympic stars such as Ali Raisman,
Simone Biles, MICHAELA. Moroney, and Gabby Douglas. According to CNN,
Simone Biles announced in a Senate here that USA Gymnastics
(16:01):
and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that
I was abused by their official team doctor, long before
I was ever made aware of their knowledge. As one
of the most revered gymnasts in history, Simone Bile's words
carried real weight, resonating across the nation and world. There
was nothing USA Gymnastics could do to protect against a
(16:24):
severe reputational hit, but In a bid to manage the
escalating legal costs and potential settlements, the organization filed for
Chapter eleven bankruptcy in December twenty eighteen. This move streamlined
the settlement process under bankruptcy protections, with a proposed two
hundred and fifteen million dollars settlement emerging in February twenty twenty,
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pending approval from the survivors. USA Gymnastics was also forced
to review and overhaul its approach to athlete safety. The
implementation of the Safe Sport Policy and collaboration with the
US Center for Safe Sport on June nineteenth, twenty nineteen,
marked a significant step towards safeguarding athletes. These policies set
(17:11):
stringent guidelines for handling abuse allegations and represented a critical
stride towards restoring trust in their organization. Marcy Schwartz, a
former competitive gymnast, lauded the move. As a survivor of
abuse myself, I'm encouraged to see USA Gymnastics taking the
initiative to put athletes and their safety first, said Marcy.
(17:34):
In reviewing the updated Safe Sport Policy, I truly believe
that the detail and the clarity on what is and
is not acceptable behavior between an athlete and coach could
have protected me, and it seemed that the new safe
Sport policy was in fact effective because its implementation had
captured another predator. Remember John Geddert, who co owned Twist
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Star's USA Gymnastics club in Michigan and and enabled Larry
Nasser to abuse young gymnasts there under the guise of
medical treatment. Well in a chilling echo of Larry's actions,
it soon became clear that John Gedderd himself had a
very dark side. Known for his strict coaching style and
significant role in the gymnastics community, John Geddert was often
(18:21):
described as a brutal coach. Many former gymnasts have alleged
that his coaching style was downright abusive, with reports that
John would tell gymnasts to kill themselves, would throw items
in his gym when angered, and that on one occasion
he shoved gymnast michaela Thrush so hard on top of
the low bar that she had a black eye, ruptured
(18:42):
lymph nodes in her neck, and torn muscles in her stomach.
According to Michayla, the injuries were severe enough to end
her career. Much of this behavior is criminal and all
of it is revolting. Yet John Gedderd's tactics were given
the steal of approval as he was chosen to coach
(19:04):
the twenty twelve women's gymnastics Olympic team. When the twenty
twelve team, which included gymnast Gabby Douglas, MICHAELA. Moroney, Ali
raceman Kyler Ross and Jordan Weeber were dubbed the Fierce
Five and grabbed gold at the Games in London, it
seemed that John Geeddett would get away with his unconscionable
treatment of athletes, after all, he trained winners, But when
(19:28):
Larry Nasser's scandal peaked, it soon became clear that the
Fierce Five and countless other gymnasts who had trained at
Twist Stars were winners in spite of John Geddett, rather
than because of him. John's close association with Larry and
the shared space at Twist Stars caused the authorities to
start digging into the famous gymnastics club with a vengeance,
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and as the investigations deepened, the layers were peeled back
to reveal whose sixty three year old John Geeddett really
was a self serving predator. John Gehett was charged on
February twenty fifth, twenty twenty one, with twenty four felonies,
including sexual assault, human trafficking, and running a criminal enterprise.
(20:10):
These charges were not about any potential complicity in Larry
Nasser's abuses, but about his own direct actions against young gymnasts,
which included forcing them to perform while injured and physically
assaulting some of them. Gymnast Bailey Lorenzen shared with CNN
that John was always scary. He would be throwing water
bottles at the girls in the gym and get in
(20:32):
their face and scream at them. Brittany Eragon, one of
the gymnasts who trained under John Getriert, was driven to
a suicide attempt in twenty twelve by his abuse. She
shared that if she didn't perform her exercises perfectly, he'd scream,
one of his favorite threats, that he was going to
beat her like a redheaded stepchild. It was in his eyes,
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Brittany remembered, they pierced through you. You knew he wasn't kidding.
Despite his tough reputation, however, John Geeddett proved unwilling to
face up the punishment himself. Within hours of criminal charges
being brought against him, John committed suicide with a gunshot
to the head. His suicide marked a grim final act
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and a tumultuous chapter in gymnastics history, leaving many questions
unanswered and his victims feeling cheated. Sarah Klein, who has
identified herself as the first gymnast to be abused by
Larry Nasser, called John Geeddert's death by suicide and escape
from justice, and the revamped USA Gymnastics Organization mirrored her sentiment,
(21:35):
saying that quote, we had hoped that news of the
criminal charges being brought against John Geddett would lead to
justice through the legal process. With the news of his
death by suicide, we share the feelings of shock, and
our thoughts are with the gymnastics community as they grapple
with the complex emotions of today's events. Experts have noted
that survivors of sexual abuse often feel torn about the
(21:58):
suicide of their offender, Sarah Klein. Many feel the offender
has escaped justice, but some may suffer feelings of guilt
due to previous emotional attachment to their offender. They didn't
necessarily want their abuser dead, they just wanted the abuse
to stop. It is for these reasons that suicide is rarely,
if ever, a satisfactory outcome for survivors of sexual abuse. Okay,
(22:32):
nothing likes some juice to get energized. For the conclusion
of one of the most shocking aspects of the Larry
Nassar scandal, the FBI is complete and utter failure to perform.
You see, while Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, and Twist
Stars coach John Geddert were all being held to task
on the heels of Larry Nasher's sentencing, the FBI found
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itself alongside all these dirty players on the hot seat.
In last week's episode of Playing Dirty, I told you
that the first reports of allegations against Larry Nasser were
made in twenty fifteen to the FBI's Indianapolis office, which
is notably located in the same city as the headquarters
of USA Gymnastics. Remember while Steve Penny, who was the
(23:16):
CEO of USA Gymnastics at the time, did something uncharacteristically
above board by actually reporting gymnast Maggie Nichols allegations to
the FBI, after eight months of inaction from the Indianapolis
FBI agents to follow up on Maggie's claims, officials from
USA Gymnastics reached out to the FBI's Los Angeles office.
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The LA office also failed to respond with urgency to
the reports placed by USA Gymnastics. Why more than a
year elapsed from the initial report made to the FBI
before the agency finally began an investigation. During that year,
one hundred and thirty nine girls and women reported being
(24:00):
molested by Larry Nasser. That's one hundred thirty nine girls
and women that the FBI could have protected had they
acted in accordance with their agency's motto of fidelity, bravery, integrity. Clearly,
there was a major FBI performance breakdown in the Larry
Nasser case, as each and every one of these cornerstones
(24:20):
was grossly abandoned. To address their agency's serious failings, on
April twenty third, twenty twenty four, the FBI agreed to
pay one hundred thirty eight point seven million dollars to
the one hundred thirty nine survivors harmed by Larry Nasser.
After the report from Maggie Nichols was brought to their
attention by USA Gymnastics, the FBI had a clear chance
(24:45):
to prevent the sexual assault of one hundred thirty nine victims,
but instead of doing their duty, they buried the allegations.
The massive payout represented an official recognition of the harm
caused by their negligence. But for survivor and the public
at large, the FBI has yet to answer a key question,
(25:05):
why did this happen? There is still no satisfactory explanation
for why the FBI failed to act on Maggie Nichol's
allegations against Larry Nasser. Even worse, the Inspector General uncovered
that multiple FBI employees made false statements in the course
of the investigation into what went wrong at the agency
(25:27):
to hide their own failures. Making false statements in an
investigation is a fireable offense at the FBI, and yet
it happened. The Inspector General noted a particularly damning finding too,
a possible motive for the lies and even for the
burial of the initial allegations. It turns out that the
Special Agent in charge of the Indianapolis Field Office, j Abbott,
(25:51):
may well have been a dirty player all along. The
Inspector General explained that j Abbott violated FBI policy and
exercised extremely poor judgment under federal ethics rules when he,
without prior authorization, communicated with the USA Gymnastics CEO Steve
Penny about a potential job opportunity with the US Olympic Committee,
(26:13):
an entity with which Penny had professional connections. Abbot communicated
with Penny about the potential job opportunity while the two
continued to discuss the allegations against Nasser, and while Abbott
took an active role in conversations about the FBI's public
statements regarding USA gymnastics handling of those allegations. Abbot should
(26:35):
have known, and we found that he in fact did
know that this conduct would raise questions regarding his impartiality. Further,
Abbott applied for the position with the US Olympic Committee
and then falsely denied that he had done so when
questioned by the Office of the Inspector General on two
separate occasions. It was an appalling revelation, highlighting a senior
(26:59):
lawylaw enforcement officer enabling one hundred and thirty nine young
women to be sexually assaulted for his own personal gain.
Special Agent j Abbot had been more concerned with his
future career moves than he was by the prospect of
leaving a sexual predator on the loose. As with Michigan
State University and USA Gymnastics, the FBI has reassessed their
(27:22):
initial approach should similar allegations arise in the future. But
while Special Agent Jay Abbot is no longer with the FBI,
it is noteworthy that he retired with full benefits. Is
that justice and action not in my book and certainly
not according to Larry Nasser's victims. One survivor expressed her
sense of disappointment after the FBI's financial settlement, saying quote,
(27:45):
I'm relieved but disappointed that no one person is being
held accountable for failing to report the abuse and for
sweeping it under the RUG. I definitely have no trust
in the FBI anymore. And the word trust really does
lay at the center of the Larry Nasser scandal because
(28:08):
survivors of sexual abuse often experience a wide range of
psychological issues, which can include chronic post traumatic stress disorder PTSD, anxiety, depression,
and complex feelings of betrayal and mistrust, especially when the
perpetrator is a trusted authority figure. The intense public scrutiny
(28:29):
associated with high profile cases like Larry Nassar's can exacerbate
these feelings, adding layers of public pressure to private pain.
Sexual abuse victims also have higher than normal odds of
becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, and also struggle to
form future emotional attachments. As former gymnast Jade Capua articulated
(28:52):
at Larry Nassar's sentencing, all I can think of is
how this man, someone who held oh so many high credentials,
was as the monster who left me with more pain
and scars that I came to his office with the
pain of never trusting someone physically again, and the scars
are being touched and exposed in places that were completely
inappropriate For many of Larry Nasser's survivors. Jade's words resonate.
(29:17):
The betrayal by a medical professional can understandably severely impact
a survivor's ability to trust future healthcare providers, which is
a critical component of their ongoing physical and mental health care.
The support systems that surround survivors ultimately play a critical
role in their recovery therapy. Supportive family and friends, and
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survivor networks can offer vital resources and emotional support. Survivor
advocacy groups like RAIN and PAVE have also emerged as
powerful platforms for change, giving a voice to those who
may otherwise feel silenced. So what happened to the man himself,
(30:01):
the ultimate dirty player who caused so much irreparable hurt
to hundreds of girls and women. Well. In the years
since his incarceration, Larry Nasser has experienced multiple events that
underscore the gravity of his crimes. On June seventeenth, twenty
twenty two, the Michigan Supreme Court dismissed Larry Nassar's final appeal,
(30:23):
closing the door on any potential legal reprieve and cementing
his lengthy sentences. Larry Nassar isn't coming out of prison alive,
and every day he spends in prison holds the threat
of imminent death. Have you ever heard of prison justice?
The rumor has always been that nobody inside takes kindly
(30:44):
to a child abuser. On July tenth, twenty twenty three,
this rumor became a reality for Larry Nasser when he
was stabbed twice in the neck, twice in the back,
and six times in the chest at the United States
Penitentiary Coleman in Florida. He was subsequently reported to be
in stable condition, but The incident highlights the intense emotions
(31:07):
and conflicts that continue to swirl around Larry Nasser's presence
in the penal system. As the gymnastics community and the
wider sports world continue to grapple with the implications of
the Larry Naser scandal and all its related dirty players,
we can but hope that this heartbreaking chapter in sports
history will enshrine the principle of holding athletes well being
(31:30):
above metal ambitions forever more. Come back next week and
join me your host, Jay Harris, as I serve up
a brand new episode of Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing
(31:52):
Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions,
Never Ever Productions and Workhouse Media from executive produce ducers
Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer
Clary Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown,
Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clarey.
Welcome back to Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. I'm Jay Harris,
your faithful host in Barista, always committed to serving up
in depth scandalous stories that truly matter. I'm a veteran
ESPN sportscaster, but it can be tough even for me
to swallow some of the tales from the dark side
of sports. Last week I'm Playing Dirty, I poured part
(00:36):
one of a stomach turning cocktail featuring Larry Nasser, the
doctor of sports medicine who abused his respected position at
several institutions by sexually assaulting hundreds of young female athletes. Ultimately,
Larry received an historic sentence of up to one hundred
and seventy five years in jail for his heinous crimes. Today,
we're going to pick up at that pivotal moment, reviewing
(00:58):
how Larry nasser Is appalling actions were systematically and outrageously
overlooked until his victims bravely took matters into their own hands.
These women, who had had their trust abused and in
many cases, their lives destroyed because of Larry Naster's assaults,
stood up one by one, addressing him face to face
(01:20):
in a lengthy four day sentencing hearing. You might remember
from last week's episode that Larry had the gall to
complain to Judge rose Marie Aquillina that he doubted his
ability to mentally endure hearing his victim's impact statements. She
shut down his whimper point blank, stating, you spent thousands
of hours perpetrating sexual assault on miners and asserting that
(01:42):
he should and would be capable of withstanding a few
days of listening to the women he had harmed so terribly,
and so he did. Dressed in a faded blue jail
jumpsuit and orange crocs, Larry Naster was confronted by his
young victims. So many came forward that ultimately his four
day sentencing was extended to seven days to give each
(02:04):
young woman the opportunity to take a measure of power
back from him, starting with Kyle Stevens, who courageously looked
him in the eye on day one and said, little
girls don't stay little forever that grow into strong women
that returned to destroy your world. To Rachel Dinelander, who
closed out the victim statements on day seven, asking the
(02:25):
court room how much is a little girl worth? Larry's
sentencing process was visceral, dramatic and incredibly moving, And so
even as Judge rose Marie Aquilina handed down Larry Nasser's
historic one hundred and seventy five year jail sentence, the
movement that his victims had sparked rightfully demanded more. After all,
(02:49):
his crimes had not happened in a vacuum. Rachel Dinnelander,
whose experience with Larry Nassar spurred her on to become
a lawyer for survivors of sexual abuse, demand that the
institutions that had emboldened a pedophile be held accountable. She
detailed systemic failures to the court room, especially when it
came to Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. This is
(03:13):
what it looks like when institutions create a culture where
a predator can flourish, unafraid and unabated, she declared. The
court heard Rachel Denilander and all of Larry's victims, who
repeatedly called out these institutions' failures, and so did the public.
As Larry Nassar's criminal case closed, it was inevitable that
(03:35):
attention would turn toward MSU and USA Gymnastics. Michigan State
University was deeply embroiled in the scandal, and its reckoning
started at the top. On January twenty fourth, twenty eighteen,
leu Anna Simon, the president of the university, stepped down
(03:56):
under a cloud of criticism. Her resignation letters smacked of insincerity,
making a point to minimize her own responsibility for what
had happened to MSU's athletes. As tragedies are politicized, blame
is inevitable. Lou Anna Simon penned, as president, it is
only natural that I am the focus of this anger.
(04:16):
Lou Anna Simon was positioning her resignation as an institutional favor,
as if she was taking one for the team, rather
than acknowledging the horror that had transpired under her leadership.
The collegiate athletes who had suffered abuse at Larry Nasser's
hands were not impressed. Survivor Larissa Boyce, the young MSU
gymnasts who had reported Larry Nasser all the way back
(04:38):
in nineteen ninety seven, was especially outraged when she asked
lou Anna Simon to attend her testimony at Larry Nasser's hearing,
only to have the former university president decline to appear.
I asked lou Anna Simon to be here for my statement,
Larissa Boyce told the court. She told me she could
not fit it into her schedule. To Larissa and the
(05:00):
other MSU athletes, lou Anna Simon's failure to attend the
sentencing of Larry Nassar was just one more piece of
evidence that Michigan State University didn't care about its female
students and the repeated violations they had suffered at the
hands of the university's now infamous employee. The outrage was palpable,
(05:21):
and more heads were destined to roll. Lou Anna Simon's
perfunctory resignation marked the beginning of a series of high
profile departures and legal repercussions from Michigan State University staff
members who had failed to act when confronted about Larry
Nassar's predations. Kathy Klegus, the former gymnastics coach at MSU,
was next up. She was convicted on two counts for
(05:43):
lying to the police about her knowledge of Larry Nasser's activities.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the determination, stating that
miss Kleggus could and should have acted on complaints about
Larry Nasser. Decades ago. That is a failure on multiple levels,
but none is more important than her failure to protect
the young women who had the courage to speak up
(06:06):
decades ago and the hundreds who became Nasar's victims after that.
The next MSU employee on the chopping block was William's Strample,
Larry Nasser's former boss and the dean of the College
of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition to being arrested and charged
with neglective duty at the administrative level in Larry Nasser's
chain of supervision, prosecutors alleged that he had personally used
(06:29):
his role as dean to take advantage of female students.
As reported by the Detroit News, William was said to
have made sexually inappropriate remarks when he privately met with
students to discuss academic issues. For instance, he allegedly told
one woman that she needed to dress sexier to make
it in medicine, and some students perceived his comments as
(06:50):
offers of help in exchange for sexual favors. In fact,
a few students alleged that William Strample had even said
heeding women who put out for older men for gifts.
Talk about a serious ick factor William was sent to
jail for a year and eleven months. Underscoring the hot
water bubbling away at MSU. Bob Noto, Michigan State University's
(07:14):
long standing VP of Legal Affairs, then departed under pressure,
along with Athletics Director Mark Hollis and Provost June Ewitt.
This cleaning of the house under duress at MSU coincided
with the racking up of some very hefty bills. The
US Education Department fined at Michigan State University four point
five million dollars in September twenty nineteen for failing to
(07:37):
respond to sexual assault complaints against Larry Nasser, and ultimately
MSU ended up agreeing to a staggering five hundred million
dollars settlement to compensate survivors. This was one of the
largest sexual abuse settlements in history and a public admission
of the university's failure to protect its students. As reported
(07:59):
by the Associated Press, Brian Breslin, the chairman of the
Michigan State University's governing board, went on the record with
the statement, we are truly sorry to all the survivors
and their families for what they have been through, and
we admire the courage it has taken to tell their stories.
We recognize the need for change on our campus and
in our community around sexual assault awareness and prevention. As
(08:24):
of mid twenty eighteen, however, Trailblazer's survivor, Rachel Dinelander, told
the AP that while the settlement quote reflects the incredible
damage which took place on MSU's campus, she had still
not seen any meaningful reform at the university. In the
subsequent six years since Rachel's assessment, MSU has purported to
(08:44):
overhaul its approach to handling sexual assault allegations. They've revamped
their Title nine processes to ensure more thorough investigations and
fair outcomes, and the university claims that there's a new
emphasis on transparency and ongoing training for staff and students,
aiming to equip everyone on campus to better recognize and
(09:05):
respond to sexual misconduct. Time will tell if these measures
prove adequate for student safety, but as recently as July
twenty nine, twenty twenty three, The Independent reported on another
lawsuit lodged against MSU by Larry Nasser's victims. This time,
survivors accused the university of holding secret votes that led
(09:27):
to MSU's refusal to hand over more than six thousand
documents to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office related to
the case. That sure doesn't sound like a new emphasis
on transparency, does it. The victims made clear that they
were not seeking more money by filing the additional lawsuit. Rather,
(09:47):
A zam Elder, an attorney representing the victims, issued a
press release saying, we contend that MSU board members made
a behind closed doors, secret decision not to release the
records in blatant violation of the Open Meetings Act. They
followed that up with violations of the Freedom of Information
Act when we requested emails that might show they discussed
(10:08):
and made a closed door decision on the matter in
violation of law. Since she was unable to get the
documents from Michigan State University, Attorney General Dana Nessil had
no choice but to end her probe in twenty twenty one.
This is what it prompted the victims to again seek
legal recourse. They demanded accountability from the university and its
(10:28):
elected trustee board, pressing for the release of the six
thousand documents, and finally, on December fifteenth, twenty twenty three,
they achieved a real result when the Michigan State University
Board of Trustees voted unanimously to release the previously privileged
documents related to the Larry Nasser investigation. The students, the
(10:49):
MSU community at large, and most importantly, the victims of
Larry Nasser have long been owed this transparency. Attorney General
Dana Nessl said, I am encouraged to see the MSU
Board of Trustees finally make the right decision on a
long promised and long delayed measure of transparency. Just as
(11:10):
Michigan State University was grappling with the fallout from the
Larry Naser scandal, USA Gymnastics found itself in the eye
of the same storm. It was difficult for the organization
to find a path forward amidst so many horrific allegations
rocking its foundation, and as MSU had discovered, there was
no way around and administrative purge. So Steve Penny, the
(11:33):
president and CEO of USA Gymnastics since two thousand and five,
stepped down in March twenty seventeen under mounting pressure over
the mishandling of the Larry Nasser in allegations. According to CNN,
He announced his resignation during a USA Gymnastics Board of
Director's conference call, explaining that my decision to step aside
his CEO is solely to support the best interests of
(11:56):
USA Gymnastics at this time. He also added that he
was heartbroken to hear of instances of alleged abuse, saying
it sickens me that young athletes would be exploited in
such a manner. Steve Penny's departure triggered a domino effect,
culminating in the entire USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, resigning
by January twenty eighteen at the behest of an unrelenting
(12:21):
US Olympic Committee which was determined to see accountability and reform. But,
as with Michigan State University's cleanse, the dominoes continued to
tumble at USA Gymnastics. The hot glare of public attention
turned to the Coroli Ranch in Texas, the storied national
(12:42):
training center run by the legendary Bella and Marta Coroli.
Known for its rigorous training regimes, the ranch also became
a site where many of Larry Nasher's abuses were perpetrated.
You may remember some of the heartbreaking personal stories from
gymnasts in the last episode of Playing Dirty out their
time at the Corolyi Ranch. The isolated setting of the
(13:03):
Coroli Ranch contributed to this toxic culture, where young gymnasts
felt they had nowhere to turn, their voices stifled under
the weight of authority and expectation. The State of Texas,
led by Governor Greg Abbott, initiated an investigation into the
ranch to unearth any negligence or possible complicity by the
Corolis in the Larry Nasar scandal. Meanwhile, the recently resigned
(13:28):
USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny found himself drawn back into
the spotlight when he was arrested in October twenty eighteen
on charges of tampering with evidence. He was accused of
orchestrating the removal of documents from the Coroli Ranch to
shield USA Gymnastics from further scrutiny. As reported by ESPN,
(13:49):
Steve Penny was aware in November twenty sixteen of a
criminal investigation into Naser's serial sexual assault on Team USA
gymnasts at the famed Coroli Ranch near Huntsville, Texas, when
he ordered USA Gymnastics employees at the ranch to remove
any documents related to Nasser. Former USAG national team travel
(14:10):
manager Amy White told attorneys investigating the case on behalf
of the United States Olympic Committee that Penny had ordered
her to refuse investigators access to the ranch when they
first showed up on November eighth, twenty sixteen. Ammy White
told investigators Steve Penny then instructed her that same day
to go to a local department store to purchase a
(14:32):
suitcase large enough to take medical forms, rooming lists, flash drives,
and anything else with Naser's name on it to the
USA Gymnastics headquarters in Indianapolis. Amy White told investigators she
complied with Steve Penny's instructions, flying to Indianapolis with the
evidence before officers showed up the next day with a
(14:52):
search warrant. Have you ever heard the saying it's the
cover up, not the crime, Well, now you know it's
a saying for a reason. By April twenty twenty two,
Steve Penny had managed to secure a highly controversial dismissal
in Walker County, Texas, with the court deciding insufficient evidence
to prosecute Larry Nasser's victims. Disagreed with former national team
(15:16):
member Maggie Nicholls's father, John, expressing his frustration to ESPN
reporters John Barr and Dan Murphy, Steve Penny misled us
from the very beginning, John Nichols insisted, if no other
than Larry Nasser is held accountable at USA Gymnastics, what's
going to stop this from happening again? John Nicholls's question
was solid, and he had an army of survivors and
(15:39):
their family members demanding inappropriate answer. The lawsuits against USA
Gymnastics piled up, brought forth by overall hundred of Larry
Nasser's victims, including many Olympic stars such as Ali Raisman,
Simone Biles, MICHAELA. Moroney, and Gabby Douglas. According to CNN,
Simone Biles announced in a Senate here that USA Gymnastics
(16:01):
and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that
I was abused by their official team doctor, long before
I was ever made aware of their knowledge. As one
of the most revered gymnasts in history, Simone Bile's words
carried real weight, resonating across the nation and world. There
was nothing USA Gymnastics could do to protect against a
(16:24):
severe reputational hit, but In a bid to manage the
escalating legal costs and potential settlements, the organization filed for
Chapter eleven bankruptcy in December twenty eighteen. This move streamlined
the settlement process under bankruptcy protections, with a proposed two
hundred and fifteen million dollars settlement emerging in February twenty twenty,
(16:46):
pending approval from the survivors. USA Gymnastics was also forced
to review and overhaul its approach to athlete safety. The
implementation of the Safe Sport Policy and collaboration with the
US Center for Safe Sport on June nineteenth, twenty nineteen,
marked a significant step towards safeguarding athletes. These policies set
(17:11):
stringent guidelines for handling abuse allegations and represented a critical
stride towards restoring trust in their organization. Marcy Schwartz, a
former competitive gymnast, lauded the move. As a survivor of
abuse myself, I'm encouraged to see USA Gymnastics taking the
initiative to put athletes and their safety first, said Marcy.
(17:34):
In reviewing the updated Safe Sport Policy, I truly believe
that the detail and the clarity on what is and
is not acceptable behavior between an athlete and coach could
have protected me, and it seemed that the new safe
Sport policy was in fact effective because its implementation had
captured another predator. Remember John Geddert, who co owned Twist
(17:57):
Star's USA Gymnastics club in Michigan and and enabled Larry
Nasser to abuse young gymnasts there under the guise of
medical treatment. Well in a chilling echo of Larry's actions,
it soon became clear that John Gedderd himself had a
very dark side. Known for his strict coaching style and
significant role in the gymnastics community, John Geddert was often
(18:21):
described as a brutal coach. Many former gymnasts have alleged
that his coaching style was downright abusive, with reports that
John would tell gymnasts to kill themselves, would throw items
in his gym when angered, and that on one occasion
he shoved gymnast michaela Thrush so hard on top of
the low bar that she had a black eye, ruptured
(18:42):
lymph nodes in her neck, and torn muscles in her stomach.
According to Michayla, the injuries were severe enough to end
her career. Much of this behavior is criminal and all
of it is revolting. Yet John Gedderd's tactics were given
the steal of approval as he was chosen to coach
(19:04):
the twenty twelve women's gymnastics Olympic team. When the twenty
twelve team, which included gymnast Gabby Douglas, MICHAELA. Moroney, Ali
raceman Kyler Ross and Jordan Weeber were dubbed the Fierce
Five and grabbed gold at the Games in London, it
seemed that John Geeddett would get away with his unconscionable
treatment of athletes, after all, he trained winners, But when
(19:28):
Larry Nasser's scandal peaked, it soon became clear that the
Fierce Five and countless other gymnasts who had trained at
Twist Stars were winners in spite of John Geddett, rather
than because of him. John's close association with Larry and
the shared space at Twist Stars caused the authorities to
start digging into the famous gymnastics club with a vengeance,
(19:48):
and as the investigations deepened, the layers were peeled back
to reveal whose sixty three year old John Geeddett really
was a self serving predator. John Gehett was charged on
February twenty fifth, twenty twenty one, with twenty four felonies,
including sexual assault, human trafficking, and running a criminal enterprise.
(20:10):
These charges were not about any potential complicity in Larry
Nasser's abuses, but about his own direct actions against young gymnasts,
which included forcing them to perform while injured and physically
assaulting some of them. Gymnast Bailey Lorenzen shared with CNN
that John was always scary. He would be throwing water
bottles at the girls in the gym and get in
(20:32):
their face and scream at them. Brittany Eragon, one of
the gymnasts who trained under John Getriert, was driven to
a suicide attempt in twenty twelve by his abuse. She
shared that if she didn't perform her exercises perfectly, he'd scream,
one of his favorite threats, that he was going to
beat her like a redheaded stepchild. It was in his eyes,
(20:52):
Brittany remembered, they pierced through you. You knew he wasn't kidding.
Despite his tough reputation, however, John Geeddett proved unwilling to
face up the punishment himself. Within hours of criminal charges
being brought against him, John committed suicide with a gunshot
to the head. His suicide marked a grim final act
(21:13):
and a tumultuous chapter in gymnastics history, leaving many questions
unanswered and his victims feeling cheated. Sarah Klein, who has
identified herself as the first gymnast to be abused by
Larry Nasser, called John Geeddert's death by suicide and escape
from justice, and the revamped USA Gymnastics Organization mirrored her sentiment,
(21:35):
saying that quote, we had hoped that news of the
criminal charges being brought against John Geddett would lead to
justice through the legal process. With the news of his
death by suicide, we share the feelings of shock, and
our thoughts are with the gymnastics community as they grapple
with the complex emotions of today's events. Experts have noted
that survivors of sexual abuse often feel torn about the
(21:58):
suicide of their offender, Sarah Klein. Many feel the offender
has escaped justice, but some may suffer feelings of guilt
due to previous emotional attachment to their offender. They didn't
necessarily want their abuser dead, they just wanted the abuse
to stop. It is for these reasons that suicide is rarely,
if ever, a satisfactory outcome for survivors of sexual abuse. Okay,
(22:32):
nothing likes some juice to get energized. For the conclusion
of one of the most shocking aspects of the Larry
Nassar scandal, the FBI is complete and utter failure to perform.
You see, while Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, and Twist
Stars coach John Geddert were all being held to task
on the heels of Larry Nasher's sentencing, the FBI found
(22:54):
itself alongside all these dirty players on the hot seat.
In last week's episode of Playing Dirty, I told you
that the first reports of allegations against Larry Nasser were
made in twenty fifteen to the FBI's Indianapolis office, which
is notably located in the same city as the headquarters
of USA Gymnastics. Remember while Steve Penny, who was the
(23:16):
CEO of USA Gymnastics at the time, did something uncharacteristically
above board by actually reporting gymnast Maggie Nichols allegations to
the FBI, after eight months of inaction from the Indianapolis
FBI agents to follow up on Maggie's claims, officials from
USA Gymnastics reached out to the FBI's Los Angeles office.
(23:39):
The LA office also failed to respond with urgency to
the reports placed by USA Gymnastics. Why more than a
year elapsed from the initial report made to the FBI
before the agency finally began an investigation. During that year,
one hundred and thirty nine girls and women reported being
(24:00):
molested by Larry Nasser. That's one hundred thirty nine girls
and women that the FBI could have protected had they
acted in accordance with their agency's motto of fidelity, bravery, integrity. Clearly,
there was a major FBI performance breakdown in the Larry
Nasser case, as each and every one of these cornerstones
(24:20):
was grossly abandoned. To address their agency's serious failings, on
April twenty third, twenty twenty four, the FBI agreed to
pay one hundred thirty eight point seven million dollars to
the one hundred thirty nine survivors harmed by Larry Nasser.
After the report from Maggie Nichols was brought to their
attention by USA Gymnastics, the FBI had a clear chance
(24:45):
to prevent the sexual assault of one hundred thirty nine victims,
but instead of doing their duty, they buried the allegations.
The massive payout represented an official recognition of the harm
caused by their negligence. But for survivor and the public
at large, the FBI has yet to answer a key question,
(25:05):
why did this happen? There is still no satisfactory explanation
for why the FBI failed to act on Maggie Nichol's
allegations against Larry Nasser. Even worse, the Inspector General uncovered
that multiple FBI employees made false statements in the course
of the investigation into what went wrong at the agency
(25:27):
to hide their own failures. Making false statements in an
investigation is a fireable offense at the FBI, and yet
it happened. The Inspector General noted a particularly damning finding too,
a possible motive for the lies and even for the
burial of the initial allegations. It turns out that the
Special Agent in charge of the Indianapolis Field Office, j Abbott,
(25:51):
may well have been a dirty player all along. The
Inspector General explained that j Abbott violated FBI policy and
exercised extremely poor judgment under federal ethics rules when he,
without prior authorization, communicated with the USA Gymnastics CEO Steve
Penny about a potential job opportunity with the US Olympic Committee,
(26:13):
an entity with which Penny had professional connections. Abbot communicated
with Penny about the potential job opportunity while the two
continued to discuss the allegations against Nasser, and while Abbott
took an active role in conversations about the FBI's public
statements regarding USA gymnastics handling of those allegations. Abbot should
(26:35):
have known, and we found that he in fact did
know that this conduct would raise questions regarding his impartiality. Further,
Abbott applied for the position with the US Olympic Committee
and then falsely denied that he had done so when
questioned by the Office of the Inspector General on two
separate occasions. It was an appalling revelation, highlighting a senior
(26:59):
lawylaw enforcement officer enabling one hundred and thirty nine young
women to be sexually assaulted for his own personal gain.
Special Agent j Abbot had been more concerned with his
future career moves than he was by the prospect of
leaving a sexual predator on the loose. As with Michigan
State University and USA Gymnastics, the FBI has reassessed their
(27:22):
initial approach should similar allegations arise in the future. But
while Special Agent Jay Abbot is no longer with the FBI,
it is noteworthy that he retired with full benefits. Is
that justice and action not in my book and certainly
not according to Larry Nasser's victims. One survivor expressed her
sense of disappointment after the FBI's financial settlement, saying quote,
(27:45):
I'm relieved but disappointed that no one person is being
held accountable for failing to report the abuse and for
sweeping it under the RUG. I definitely have no trust
in the FBI anymore. And the word trust really does
lay at the center of the Larry Nasser scandal because
(28:08):
survivors of sexual abuse often experience a wide range of
psychological issues, which can include chronic post traumatic stress disorder PTSD, anxiety, depression,
and complex feelings of betrayal and mistrust, especially when the
perpetrator is a trusted authority figure. The intense public scrutiny
(28:29):
associated with high profile cases like Larry Nassar's can exacerbate
these feelings, adding layers of public pressure to private pain.
Sexual abuse victims also have higher than normal odds of
becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, and also struggle to
form future emotional attachments. As former gymnast Jade Capua articulated
(28:52):
at Larry Nassar's sentencing, all I can think of is
how this man, someone who held oh so many high credentials,
was as the monster who left me with more pain
and scars that I came to his office with the
pain of never trusting someone physically again, and the scars
are being touched and exposed in places that were completely
inappropriate For many of Larry Nasser's survivors. Jade's words resonate.
(29:17):
The betrayal by a medical professional can understandably severely impact
a survivor's ability to trust future healthcare providers, which is
a critical component of their ongoing physical and mental health care.
The support systems that surround survivors ultimately play a critical
role in their recovery therapy. Supportive family and friends, and
(29:40):
survivor networks can offer vital resources and emotional support. Survivor
advocacy groups like RAIN and PAVE have also emerged as
powerful platforms for change, giving a voice to those who
may otherwise feel silenced. So what happened to the man himself,
(30:01):
the ultimate dirty player who caused so much irreparable hurt
to hundreds of girls and women. Well. In the years
since his incarceration, Larry Nasser has experienced multiple events that
underscore the gravity of his crimes. On June seventeenth, twenty
twenty two, the Michigan Supreme Court dismissed Larry Nassar's final appeal,
(30:23):
closing the door on any potential legal reprieve and cementing
his lengthy sentences. Larry Nassar isn't coming out of prison alive,
and every day he spends in prison holds the threat
of imminent death. Have you ever heard of prison justice?
The rumor has always been that nobody inside takes kindly
(30:44):
to a child abuser. On July tenth, twenty twenty three,
this rumor became a reality for Larry Nasser when he
was stabbed twice in the neck, twice in the back,
and six times in the chest at the United States
Penitentiary Coleman in Florida. He was subsequently reported to be
in stable condition, but The incident highlights the intense emotions
(31:07):
and conflicts that continue to swirl around Larry Nasser's presence
in the penal system. As the gymnastics community and the
wider sports world continue to grapple with the implications of
the Larry Naser scandal and all its related dirty players,
we can but hope that this heartbreaking chapter in sports
history will enshrine the principle of holding athletes well being
(31:30):
above metal ambitions forever more. Come back next week and
join me your host, Jay Harris, as I serve up
a brand new episode of Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing
(31:52):
Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions,
Never Ever Productions and Workhouse Media from executive produce ducers
Dan Patrick, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer
Clary Hosted by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown,
Francie Haiks, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clarey.
Host
Jay Harris
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