A group of 90 women—including U.S. Olympic team gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney—are seeking more than $1 billion in damages from the FBI.
The women claim the bureau mishandled its sexual abuse investigation of former U.S. Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar. According to a press release by the claimants' legal team, the women filed federal collective administrative claims against the FBI on June 8 alleging that they were still being abused by Nassar despite already reporting his behavior to the bureau in 2015. The claimants say the FBI "was grossly derelict in their duties" by choosing not to interview gymnasts who were willing to talk about the sexual abuse and not transferring the complaints to Michigan State University, where Nassar continued "to abuse girls," per the release.
The women also allege that the FBI ignored "its obligation to report child abuse to relevant state and federal agencies and lying to Congress, the media and FBI headquarters about their lack of diligence in investigating the Nassar complaint." Because of the FBI's alleged negligence, the women say Nassar "continued his predatory behavior" and sexually assaulted "approximately 90 young women and children" between July 2015 and September 2016.
Maroney, an Olympic gold medalist, released a statement saying that she and her fellow survivors were "betrayed" by the FBI, the Department of Justice, the US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics.
"I had some hope that they would keep their word and hold the FBI accountable after we poured out our hearts to the US Senate Judiciary Committee and begged for justice," she added. "It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process."
In 2018, Nassar pleaded guilty to abusing 10 of the more than 265 patients who came forward to say they had been molested by the doctor. He is currently serving up to 175 years in prison.
"The FBI knew that Larry Nassar was a danger to children when his abuse of me was first reported in September of 2015," said Team USA and NCAA National Champion gymnast Maggie Nichols. "For 421 days they worked with USA Gymnastics and USOPC to hide this information from the public and allowed Nassar to continue molesting young women and girls. It is time for the FBI to be held accountable."
E! News has reached out to the FBI, which declined to comment.
After Nassar was sentenced in January 2018, former USA Gymnastics President and CEO Kerry Perry issued a statement commending the women who came forward about his abuse, calling his crimes "despicable."