Champion gymnast Simone Biles didn’t meet a beat this weekend after the official Twitter account for USA Gymnastics wished her a happy birthday — she quickly asked them for an “independent investigation.”
“How about you amaze me and do the right thing,” she wrote in response, adding: “Have an independent investigation.”
Simone was one of over 150 women and girls who came forward to accuse former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. Nassar headed faced a judge over the allegations, and in January 2018, he was sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison. He was also given a 60-year sentence from December 2017 in federal prison on child pornography charges.
Earlier this year, the USA Gymnastics reportedly offered survivors of Nassar’s abuse a $215 million settlement to be divided between the 517 athletes who had sued USAG.
Biles quickly let the organization know that she still wanted answers.
“Ugh at the airport. Heading to team camp. Still want answers from USAG and USOPC. Wish they BOTH wanted an independent investigation as much as the survivors & I do. Anxiety high. Hard not to think about everything that I DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT!!!,” she tweeted at the time.
“We have fully cooperated with all investigative bodies, including by producing information that they have requested,” USAG said in a statement last month. The organization continued, “We are deeply committed to learning from these investigations, and finding ways to prevent abuse in the future. At the same time, we must respect the confidentiality and integrity of the mediation and SafeSport processes. We would welcome the opportunity to continue mediation and discussing how to best resolve the survivors’ claims.”
USAG has not yet publicly responded to Biles’ tweet.
