Gymnasts Allege Systemic Failures Enabled Abuse
Two young women have launched civil lawsuits against USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport, accusing the organisations of a catastrophic failure to protect them from a coach they allege sexually abused them as children. The plaintiffs, Finley Weldon and Hailey Gear, claim the bodies ignored multiple warnings about the coach's conduct, allowing him to continue working with young athletes.
The coach at the centre of the scandal, Sean Gardner, currently faces federal child pornography charges in the United States. Authorities allege he placed a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018 to record his students.
Abuse Allegations at Prestigious Iowa Gym
However, it was at the renowned Chow's Gymnastics & Dance Studio in West Des Moines, Iowa, where the now college-age plaintiffs say they were abused. Weldon and Gear allege the sexual abuse began when they were just 11 and 12 years old after they started training under Gardner in 2018. Both women have chosen to be publicly identified.
The lawsuits, filed in Polk County, Iowa, represent the first civil cases to emerge from an abuse scandal uncovered in a series of reports by The Associated Press following Gardner's arrest by the FBI in August. They paint a damning picture of missed opportunities by the very organisations tasked with athlete safety.
"It illustrates in my view that the culture of money and medals over child safety is still alive and well in USA Gymnastics and the Olympic system," said California attorney John Manly, who represented victims of Larry Nassar and is part of the legal team behind the new cases.
A Pattern of Warnings Ignored
The legal filings allege that USA Gymnastics and SafeSport were informed of "inappropriate and abusive behaviours" by Gardner as early as December 2017. Reports included that he was hugging and kissing girls and engaging in other grooming behaviours while coaching at a gym in Mississippi.
Despite these warnings, the lawsuits claim the organisations failed to properly investigate, revoke Gardner's credentials, or report him to law enforcement. This alleged inaction, the plaintiffs argue, enabled Gardner to secure a coaching position at Chow's in Iowa in 2018, where the abuse is said to have continued.
The lawsuits further allege that SafeSport received another report from a parent at Chow's concerning Gardner's conduct in September 2020 but again failed to investigate. Gardner was not suspended by SafeSport until July 2022, and his status was escalated to 'ineligible' on 12 September following his arrest.
In a statement, SafeSport said its 2022 suspension came "upon receiving the first report of sexual misconduct" against Gardner and was the only action that barred him from coaching prior to his arrest. USA Gymnastics spokesperson Jill Geer said the organisation appreciated "the seriousness of this case" but declined further comment.
High-Profile Defendants and Lasting Trauma
The list of defendants extends beyond the national bodies. Also named is the gym's founder, Liang 'Chow' Qiao, the prominent coach known for producing Olympic champions like Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. His wife, Liwen Zhuan, and their family corporations are also defendants.
The lawsuits allege Qiao and Zhuan failed to conduct an adequate background check before hiring Gardner and continued to employ him despite complaints. The gym has stated Gardner passed a standard background check and was fired after his SafeSport suspension, noting there had been "no finding of misconduct at that time."
Finley Weldon, now a gymnast at Iowa State, and Hailey Gear, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student, seek unspecified damages for injuries and treatment expenses. Their lawsuits state they were subjected to "physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, harassment and molestation" for years before quitting the gym.
Gardner has pleaded not guilty to the federal child pornography charges and remains jailed pending a trial scheduled for next month. His attorney did not return requests for comment. With several other former gymnasts having reported abuse, more lawsuits are expected to follow.
