Former OU gymnast Nichols testifies
Former OU gymnast Maggie Nichols testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the FBI's failures to investigate sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar,
Maggie Nichols was joined by Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney as the four testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
The women testified on the FBI’s failures to investigate 2015 sexual abuse allegations against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to over 100 years in prison in 2018, but gymnasts like Nichols have called for accountability for those who did not take action sooner.
Nichols was the first to report Nassar’s abuse to USA Gymnastics in 2015. She was known for a time only as “Athlete A,” but before Congress she was quick to make clear that Nassar’s abuse “didn’t happen to Athlete A. It happened to me.”
“I reported my abuse to USA Gymnastics over six years ago and still, my family and I received few answers and have even more questions about how this was allowed to occur and why dozens of other little girls and women at Michigan State had to be abused after I reported,” Nichols said in an opening statement before Congress Wednesday.
Nassar served as team doctor for the 2016 US Olympic Gymnastics teams and continued his role at Michigan State University until later that year after an Indianapolis Star investigation was first published.
Nichols became an OU gymnast that same year, earning All-American status during her time with the Sooners. She later served as a student assistant coach, too. On Wednesday, she said that USAG, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the FBI have “betrayed her and those who have reported Larry Nassar.” She said the lack of action was a “coverup.”
“After I reported my abuse to USAG, my family and I were told by their former president, Steve Penny, to keep quiet and not say anything that could hurt the FBI investigation,” Nichols said. “We now know there was no real FBI investigation occurring.”
In July 2021, the Department of Justice issued a report in which they determined officials within the Indianapolis FBI office made false statements, and failed to respond for months to allegations, leading to further abuse by Nassar.
A day before her Congressional testimony, the FBI reportedly fired an agent who failed to look into allegations made by Nichols and others. That agent considered applying for the head position of USA Gymnastics according to the DOJ.
“The survivors of Larry Nassar have a right to know why their well-being was placed in jeopardy by these individuals who chose not to do their jobs,” Nichols said.
“We ask that you do what is in your power to ensure that those who engaged in wrongdoing are held accountable under the law,” Nichols said.