Texas prosecutors have "filed sexual assault charges" against LARRY NASSAR and former USA Gymnastics trainer DEBRA VAN HORN, who worked with Nassar, "expanding the worst abuse scandal in U.S. sports history beyond Michigan." Prosecutors also cleared former gymnastics coaches BELA and MARTHA KAROLYI, whose ranch "served as a training site for Olympians." A grand jury indicted Van Horn on "one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child, making her the first person other than Nassar to be charged in direct connection with the assaults." She had worked at USAG for 30 years (AP, 6/29).
NAMES: L.A. Superior Court Judge ELIZABETH FEFFER has refused ESPN's request to dismiss former tennis announcer DOUG ADLER's lawsuit against the net, ruling that there are "try-able issues of wrongful termination and negligent infliction of emotional distress" in the lawsuit (N.Y. POST, 7/1)....RYAN STRASCHNITZKI, one of the hockey players injured in the Humboldt Broncos bus accident in April, was at the Flyers development camp on Friday where he met with team prospects, had lunch with Flyers GM RON HEXTALL and touched a sheet of ice "for the first time" since the accident (PHILLY.com, 6/30)....Baseball HOFer PEDRO MARTINEZ' second annual Feast With 45 food festival, which benefits his foundation, hosted over 800 guests on Friday at Fenway Park (BOSTONHERALD.com, 7/2)....The Stanley Cup was at the Canadian Embassy's Canada Day Party yesterday in DC (POLITICO.com, 7/2).
