Lawsuits allege USA Gymnastics, SafeSport Ignored Abuse Reports โAgainst Former Coach
INDIANAPOLIS – โMultiple lawsuits filed this week accuse USA Gymnastics and SafeSport, the national governing body for Olympic and Paralympic sports,โข of failing to protect gymnastsโ from alleged abuse by former coach Sean Gardner. The suits claim negligence in responding toโ repeated reports of Gardner’s misconduct spanning several years.
The lawsuits were brought by โคtwo former gymnasts,Finley Weldon,who publicly shared her allegationsโข with the Associated Press,and 19-year-old University of Iowa student Hailey Gear,who is also seeking to come forward. They are seeking unspecifiedโข damages to cover injuries and treatment expenses. Several other formerโ gymnastsโค have โalso reported abuse, with additional lawsuits anticipated.
The allegations โฃdetail a pattern of concerningโ behavior by โGardner, beginning as early as December 2017, when parents filed โคreports with USA gymnastics and SafeSport alleging he required lengthy hugs from girls after training sessions in Mississippi โandโค ostracized a gymnast who refused.Further claims include โคan improper closed-door meeting with a gymnast where verbal โabuseโข occurred, kissing gymnasts on the โforehead, excessive alcohol consumption inโค front of athletes, sexually suggestive jokes, inappropriate social media โคcontact, and stalking a gymnast after being instructed toโ cease interaction.
Inโค January 2018, Gardner’s supervisor reportedly alerted USA โgymnastics to “grooming behaviors,” yet he continued to coach.โ A further report concerning “improper behaviors” by โGardner was allegedlyโฃ received by SafeSport in September 2020, but was not investigated.
Theโค lawsuits also name โQiao, founder of Chow’s Gymnastics and former coach to Olympicโ gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Gabby โDouglas, โhis wife Liwen Zhuan, also aโข coach at the gym, and their family corporations. The plaintiffs allege Qiao and Zhuan failed to adequately vet Gardnerโ before hiring him and continued โhis employment despite complaints of inappropriate touching during spotting.
Chow’s Gymnasticsโข stated Gardner passed a standard background check and was terminatedโฃ after his suspension byโค SafeSport in July 2022, despite “there had been โno finding of โคmisconduct at that time.” Qiao and Zhuan have โขnot yet responded to requests for comment.
The AP generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly.
