Former U.S. national team gymnasts claim a doctor associated with famed coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi sexually abused team members, reports USA Today. Her attorney asserts a “toxic” environment created by the couple enabled Dr. Larry Nassar to befriend gymnasts he intended to abuse. What Nassar did at the couple’s camps, and whether the Karolyis were aware of it, has brought the two most decorated gymnastics coaches in the history of the sport into a lawsuit filed in October against them, USA Gymnastics and the gymnast’s personal coaches. The Karolyis are not accused of direct involvement, but they are portrayed as partly responsible for failing to monitor Nassar.
Nassar was a national gymnastics team physician from 1996 to 2015. He was charged in November with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person younger than 13 by the Michigan attorney general. Those charges stem from his time at Michigan State, which also is being sued by at least 40 women or girls. He is also charged with federal child pornography crimes.