IndyStar Ongoing Series Out of Balance about the Dark Side of USA Gymnastics

Reporters Marisa Kwiatkowski, Tim Evans and Mark Alesia, along with photographer Steve Berta and editor Robert Scheer, make up the investigative team at the IndyStar who are doing groundbreaking work uncovering the aborrhant mismanagement and abuse within USA Gymnastics. The team initially broke the story on Larry Nassar, the respected MSU and USA Gymnastics Olympic sports physician who sexually abused countless women and child athletes under his care. He was recently sentenced to life in prison. The series began in 2016 and has covered physical and sexual abuse cases that were swept under the rug by the organisation. According to the team, “The investigation revealed that USA Gymnastics has followed a policy of not reporting all sexual abuse allegations against its coaches. That practice has enabled coaches to continuing preying on children despite repeated warning signs.” Even Rachel Dehollander, the last to give a victim impact statement at Nassar’s trial and the first victim to publically speak out, thanked the IndyStar for their reporting. Theirs was the first publication who first told her story. This led to other victims (including Olympians Aly Raisman and Simone Biles) coming forward with allegations against Nassar, new legislation being written to protect athletes and criminal investigations into USA Gymnastics training centers and coaches. (1 image, 3 links, 1 quotation, 209 words)