House committee leaders call for probe of sexual abuse in sports

A bipartisan group of House committee leaders on Friday called for investigations to look into sexual abuse in the world of organized sports. 

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta (R-Ohio) and the committees’ ranking members drafted letters to sports organizations calling for the investigations. 

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USA Gymnastics, USA Swimming, USA Taekwondo, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Michigan State University were among the organizations contacted.

The sports world has been rocked by the conviction of former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar who was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for the sexual assault of dozens of girls.

“The abhorrent abuses associated with Dr. Nassar’s case and the allegations by U.S. Taekwondo athletics and U.S. swimmers are disgusting and outrageous, and raise serious concerns about protecting athletes from abuse and mistreatment in organized sports,” Walden wrote. “These organizations must have mechanisms in place to ensure complete oversight and prevent such abuses from occurring. As we move forward in gathering the facts, this committee intends to hold a hearing in order to investigate these critical issues further.”

More than 150 female athletes said he assaulted them. Olympians Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney delivered charged statements during the sentencing of Nassar. 

The NCAA has opened an investigation into Michigan State University’s handling of sexual abuse claims against Nassar, and the U.S. Olympic Committee has called for every member of the USA Gymnastics board to resign by the end of the month.