Former elite gymnasts come forward publicly to detail abuse to 60 Minutes
Three former elite American gymnasts came forward publicly to tell their stories of sexual abuse by a former team doctor to 60 Minutes on Sunday.
Jamie Dantzscher, Jeanette Antolin and Jessica Howard all told of abuse by Larry Nassar, a longtime team doctor who is accused of sexually abusing dozens of women and girls.
Nassar is in federal custody in Michigan and has denied any wrongdoing.
The three former gymnasts spoke publicly for the first time about the alleged abuse.
Dantzscher and Antolin had previously filed lawsuits against Nassar and USA Gymnastics as Jane Doe plaintiffs.
Dantzscher was a member of the 2000 team that won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics. A member of the national team from 1994-2001, she also competed at the 1999 world championships. Antolin also competed at the 1999 worlds, and was part of the national team from 1995-2000. Both gymnasts went on to compete at UCLA, where they helped the Bruins win three national titles in four years.
Howard was a three-time national champion in rhythmic gymnastics, winning the title in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
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The women described what they said Nassar told them was a form of treatment.
Dantzscher’s lawsuit was filed in September and is one of two lawsuits filed in California that allege Nassar would “digitally penetrate Plaintiff’s vagina in order to adjust her bones. This ‘intravaginal adjustment’ was done without gloves, lubricant, and/or a chaperone” and was done for Nassar’s sexual gratification.
Antolin’s lawsuit, filed last month, alleges Nassar used the guise of care to “fondle and grope Plaintiff’s feet, ankles, thighs, buttocks, hips, waist and neck.” It states that Nassar touched her vaginal area and perineum, without gloves and for his own sexual gratification.
“It was treatment,” Antolin said on the program. “You don’t complain about treatment.”
John Manly, the women’s attorney, also represents 25 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against Nassar, Michigan State, USA Gymnastics and Twistars, a Michigan gymnastics club.
USA Gymnastics said this week that it hired an investigator after learning of “athlete concerns” about Nassar in June 2015. Five weeks later, the investigator recommended USA Gymnastics notify law enforcement. USA Gymnastics contacted the FBI and removed Nassar from further assignments.
An investigation published in August by The Indianapolis Star, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, found numerous cases in which USA Gymnastics had been informed of possible sexual abuse by youth coaches that the organization failed to report to authorities. Several gymnasts said TheStar’s coverage emboldened them to bring sexual abuse allegations against Nassar, and two former gymnasts told their story in detail to The Star in September.
In November, the Michigan attorney general charged Nassar with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person younger than 13.
In December, Nassar was indicted on two federal charges related to child pornography. Prosecutors added a third charge, saying Nassar attempted to destroy some of the 37,000 images and videos the FBI found on his hard drives.
At least 40 women and girls are suing Michigan State related to alleged abuse by Nassar during his time there.