Judge who sentenced Larry Nassar backs commission that would closely monitor USOC
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina wants to help back a commission that will oversee the operations of the U.S. Olympic Committee, according to the Associated Press.
Aquilina, who sentenced Larry Nassar to 175 years in prison in January, believes the USOC is not doing enough to protect its athletes.
“It’s troubling for me to hear that money and medals are valued more than the safety of athletes. We have to flip that script,” added Aquilina, who sentenced Nassar to what equates to life in prison. “How is it that the Olympics do not protect their athletes? That’s their company. That’s their bread and butter.”
The proposed commission would consist of 16 people — including both Olympians and Paralympians. Everyone on the commission would have subpoena power.
That group would have a number of duties, most of which involve keeping the USOC in line and making sure it is operating properly and meeting its goals. The Associated Press mentioned the commission would make sure “the U.S. Center for SafeSport has proper funding to effectively respond to any future reports of harassment and sexual assault.”
The USOC faced immense criticism for the way it handled the Nassar sexual abuse scandal. The organization was reportedly aware of Nassar’s abuse for roughly 14 months before it did anything. In that time, patients were still allowed to see Nassar. As a response to the Nassar scandal, one of the members of the USOC who knew about the allegations resigned. The other was fired.
A USOC spokesman told the AP the organization will “continue to work constructively with both the House and the Senate to create healthy and safe environments for the American athletes we serve.”
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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