Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the third Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on sexual abuse within USA gymnastics and other Olympic sports, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today joined a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues in standing with more than 80 survivors who shared personal stories of abuse and discussed reforms necessary to provide a safe environment for all athletes.
“The stories these brave women shared today illuminate the horrors of the abuse they went through under the watch of the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics,” said Cortez Masto. “No athlete should have to endure abuse – mental, emotional, physical or sexual – to pursue their dreams. No one should ever feel afraid to speak out against the authorities for fear of retaliation. By coming forward and sharing their stories, they have made sports safer for everyone. Now it’s time for policymakers to step in and seek real systemic change so that what happened to our athletes never happens again.”
Cortez Masto called for an oversight hearing in a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on the systemic sexual abuse of youth and amateur Olympic-sport athletes, under the governance of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). Cortez Masto also cosponsored a resolution to establish a special committee in the Senate to investigate the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and USA Gymnastics regarding how team doctor Larry Nassar was allowed to sexually abuse gymnasts over decades.
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