Victim's Attorneys Manly, Stewart & Finaldi File Lawsuit Against U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastic Team Doctor For Allegedly Molesting Medal Winning Gymnast

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for "Jane J.D. Doe," a medal winning U.S. gymnast at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, filed suit alleging that a team physician sexually assaulted and molested the underage victim.

"Our client represents the very best America has to offer. She sacrificed her youth and adolescence, spending thousands of hours in rigorous and often painful training to bring glory to our nation as an Olympic athlete. She had an absolute right to trust USA Gymnastics, its coaches and staff. Unfortunately, they have proven time and again that they are more interested in protecting the reputation of their multi-million-dollar enterprise than the child athletes who are entrusted to their care. Sadly, I believe that our client is not the only victim and others will soon come forward," said victim's attorney John Manly.

The lawsuit alleges that the USA Gymnastics team doctor groped and fondled the victim's private parts under the guise of performing osteopathic therapy. According to the victim, the doctor performed a procedure he called an "inter-vaginal adjustment" for which there is no recognized medical purpose.

The lawsuit further alleges that USA Gymnastics, the organization that hired the doctor, breached its duty to reveal the abuse to the victim's family, the U.S. Olympic Committee and law enforcement agencies.

In addition to compensation for the victim, her attorneys will ask for a court appointed monitor to protect the interests of children who participate in USA Gymnastics programs.

A recent investigative report by the Indianapolis Star newspaper revealed a long history of lawsuits and allegations of sexual misconduct against U.S.A Gymnastics coaches and staff.

The article titled, A blind-eye to sex abuse: How USA Gymnastics failed to report cases, documents dozens of abuse allegations and lawsuits going back decades. www.indystar.com/story/news/investigations/2016/08/04/usa-gymnastics-sex-abuse-protected-coaches/85829732/ 

Following publication of this article, U.S Senators Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, Richard Blumenthal and Joe Donnelly wrote a letter to USA Gymnastics President and CEO Steve Penney stating, "We urge you immediately to take specific actions to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse are reported to appropriate authorities and law enforcement, so that children are protected."

America just celebrated the magnificent achievements of another splendid group of women gymnasts at the 2016 Olympic Games. It is shocking to learn that the USA Gymnastics program has a long dark history of sexual abuse which must be brought to light and ended forever," said victim's attorney Vince Finaldi.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi is California's leading law firm representing child victims of sexual abuse.  The firm has represented more than 150 victims of clergy sexual abuse in California and hundreds of others throughout the United States.  The firm also represented plaintiffs in the $140,000,000 settlement against LAUSD in the Miramonte case, the largest sex abuse settlement against a School District in the US.

SOURCE Manly, Stewart & Finaldi