Schwikert-Warren said that she was motivated to go public after the recent arrest of Steve PennyGETTY IMAGES
Former U.S. gymnasts Tasha Schwikert-Warren and Jordan Cobbs have "filed racketeering lawsuits" against USA Gymnastics and Larry Nassar, saying that they "were abused by Nassar," according to a front-page piece by Briana Erickson of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Schwikert-Warren and Cobbs, who are sisters and were both members of the national team, said that they were "motivated to go public after the recent arrest" of former USAG President & CEO Steve Penny in "connection with allegations that he tampered with evidence in Nassar’s case." Their lawsuits were filed in L.A. County Superior Court, in the state where the sisters "allege they were sexually assaulted numerous times" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/30). The AP's Christopher Weber noted the lawsuits "seek unspecified damages under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and allege the defendants engaged in a pattern of sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit such acts" (AP, 10/29). Meanwhile, in Houston, David Barron notes Penny yesterday was "arraigned before state District Judge Hal Ridley, who set bail at $20,000 on the third-degree felony indictment of tampering with evidence returned last month by a Walker County grand jury." After "entering the not guilty plea," Penny was "taken to the Walker County Jail to set bond and was released" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/30).
LONG ROAD AHEAD: Olympic Gold Medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman said there can be "no new USA Gymnastics until we understand every single thing that happened" as part of the Nassar scandal. She said, "We can’t trust USA Gymnastics because they’re not being transparent.” Raisman added the priority of Penny and other former USAG execs "was always to cover-up.” Raisman: “It’s more important to them to protect and fix this PR problem that they have, but they need to understand this is a child abuse problem” (“Today,” NBC, 10/30).
