DOJ Reaches $138.7M Settlement With Victims of Larry Nassar

The Justice Department agreed to pay nearly $139 million to more than 100 victims who accused the FBI of mishandling sexual abuse allegations against former USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar.

The Details: The department conceded its failure to step in regarding allegations against Nassar, despite having knowledge of them for over a year. This crucial time gap in 2015-2016 enabled Nassar to continue to victimize before his arrest. Nassar, accused of sexually assaulting numerous young athletes under the facade of medical treatment, is now serving decades in prison. The high-profile victims of Nassar's abuse include Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney. With the latest settlement by the Department of Justice, various organizations have now set aside $1 billion to compensate the victims of Nassar's abuse.

Key Quotes: Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement, “For decades, Lawrence Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability. These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar inflicted, our hope is that they will help give the victims of his crimes some of the critical support they need to continue healing.”

How the Media Covered It: Coverage across the spectrum emphasized the DOJ's acceptance of its responsibility and expression of regret and detailed the FBI’s numerous failures to address and investigate the allegations. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.