Lawyer: Karolyi misspoke during 2017 Nassar deposition
Attorney corrects ex-national team official’s statement about her knowledge of assaults
Former USA Gymnastics national team coordinator Martha Karolyi misspoke when she said in a 2017 deposition that she first learned in the summer of 2015 that disgraced doctor Larry Nassar had molested USA Gymnastics athletes, Karolyi’s attorney said Wednesday.
Karolyi, according to the statement from Houston attorney Gary Jewell, did not learn until after the 2016 Summer Olympics of the exact nature of the allegations against Nassar.
Nassar, a longtime USA Gymnastics team doctor, is serving the equivalent of a life prison sentence for possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of gymnasts and other athletes.
Jewell, who represents Bela and Martha Karolyi, said Martha Karolyi “merely misspoke when answering the question in her deposition. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”
He added, “Martha is now taking the opportunity to correct that misunderstanding and make clear that, although she did receive a phone call from (USA Gymnastics CEO) Steve Penny during the summer of 2015 regarding Larry Nassar leaving the USAG program, she had no knowledge of allegations of sexual misconduct by Larry Nassar until the summer of 2016.”
Jewell said Martha Karolyi’s inaccurate statement that she knew in 2015 about the nature of the allegations against Nassar came during a 2017 deposition for a lawsuit filed in California. She was asked if she had been informed in June 2015 that a national team member had been molested by Nassar at the couple’s Sam Houston National Forest ranch, which housed the national team training center, and, after an exchange involving attorneys, replied, “Yes, I did.”
Attorneys for several gymnasts who have filed suit against USA Gymnastics and others last week made public a film clip containing a portion of Karolyi’s deposition. The clip was made public after the Karolyis said, in a lawsuit filed against USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee, that Martha Karolyi was not aware until after the 2016 Summer Olympics that Nassar was suspected of sexually molesting gymnasts.
Those attorneys have scheduled a Thursday news conference in Austin, where they say they will ask Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate whether Martha Karolyi, 75, violated state law in failing to report suspected abuse to authorities.
The Karolyis are among the defendants in a lawsuit in Walker County, where the ranch is located, filed by former national team member Sabrina Vega, and a California lawsuit filed by former national team member Mattie Larson, on whose behalf the 2017 deposition was obtained.
Nassar, who was employed by USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, pleaded guilty in Michigan to charges he sexually abused female patients under the guise of medical care. More than 260 women, including Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, gave statements regarding Nassar during a sentencing hearing.
Other gymnasts, including gold medalists Simone Biles and Gabrielle Douglas, have made similar statements regarding Nassar.
The Karolyis have given one interview since the Nassar scandal erupted, telling “NBC Dateline” they were not aware of Nassar’s crimes.
“There never, ever was one single complaint (about Nassar). Absolutely not,” Martha Karolyi said. “Absolutely we didn't turn a blind eye.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this year instructed the Texas Rangers to investigate whether crimes had been committed at the Karolyi Ranch.
The Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday: “The Walker County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers continue their ongoing, joint investigation. Once completed, the investigation will be submitted to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office for review. At this time, we have no additional information to provide.”