The P&G Championships begin today in Anaheim amid USA Gymnastics being "mired in the biggest child sexual abuse scandal in American sports history," according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Dozens of former U.S. Olympic and national team members complain that USA Gymnastics and its corporate sponsors have "done little" in the year since former team physician Larry Nassar’s abuse was "first exposed to effectively address the widespread sexual abuse within gymnastics." Former Team USA members "argue that USA Gymnastics’ strategy over the past year has focused on limiting the organization’s legal vulnerability and protecting its brand instead of examining the root and extent" of the scandal. USAG "reached a confidential out-of-court settlement in California prior to this year with a former U.S. national team gymnast who alleges Nassar sexually abused her." The confirmation of the settlement by the former Olympian is "one of the clearest indications to date that top USA Gymnastics officials knew of Nassar’s alleged abuse of underage gymnasts." USAG "cited new safe sport programs and guidelines recently implemented as well as new hires when asked a range of specific questions" to USAG Chair Paul Parilla. At the top of the list of changes, dozens of former U.S. team members and others involved in the sport "want to see is the resignation of Parilla." Former U.S. gymnast Jennifer Sey said, "I don’t understand what Paul Parilla’s qualification is. He had a child that was a national team member in trampoline. He’s a lawyer of little note. Why is he qualified to do this?" Former gymnasts said that they also are "baffled by the lack of public pressure on USA Gymnastics from its corporate partners like Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Under Armour and NBC to implement significant changes" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/17).
