USA Gymnastics suspends John Geddert, coach with ties to convicted pedophile Larry Nassar
USA Gymnastics announced on Monday that it is suspending John Geddert, the coach of the gold-medal winning 2012 London Olympics team who has ties to convicted serial pedophile Larry Nassar.
“John Geddert has been suspended under the interim measures provisions of Section 10.5 of USA Gymnastics’ Bylaws,” USA Gymnastics announced. “USA Gymnastics is unable to comment further as this is a pending matter.”
The suspension comes on the heels of the resignation of three USA Gymnastics executives earlier on Monday.
Geddert is also the owner of the Michigan-based Twistars gymnastics club, which touts itself as “the number one club in the nation for women’s competitive gymnastics in 3 recent years” on its website. Victims claimed in court documents last year that it was “common knowledge” that Nassar committed sexual assault while acting as a doctor at Twistars.
An ESPN report painted the relationship between Geddert and Nassar as a strong one both personally and professionally that has thrived for more than 25 years.
The two men were all but inseparable, professionally and socially. They worked together for more than 25 years, first at Great Lakes Gymnastics and, starting in 1996, at the gym Geddert owns now, Twistars USA Gymnastics Club near East Lansing. They worked the 2012 Olympics together. Geddert was in Nassar’s wedding party when Nassar got married in East Lansing in 1996. They attended each other’s house parties and traveled the country and, later, the world together at competitions. They vouched for each other when faced with career-threatening circumstances.
Nassar, who is already facing 60 years in prison for child pornography, is in the midst of a multi-day sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting young girls while acting as a team doctor with USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. Monday was the fifth day in the hearing, where at least 120 of his victims have already or are expected to testify to Nassar’s crimes as Nassar watches and listens.
2012 Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Jordan Wieber, who competed under Geddert’s watch, were among the victims to confront Nassar in court. London teammates McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglass also stand among Nassar’s accusers, along with four-time 2016 Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.
The Lansing State Journal reached out to Geddert and Twistars on Monday for comment, but did not receive a response.
They did, however, receive an email from Geddert’s attorney, Chris Bergstrom, who wrote that Geddert “only wishes to convey his heart-felt sympathy to all victims of Larry Nassar’s abuse. … Any further comments will distract from the victims’ statements at Nassar’s sentencing before Judge (Rosemarie) Aquilina.”
