USA Gymnastics has filed a bankruptcy plan that includes an offer of $215 million to settle claims brought by athletes who say they were sexually abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar.
The total is the amount the insurance carriers for USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee are willing to provide in hopes of ending years of legal battles with the abused athletes, The Associated Press reported.
Survivors have been in mediation with USA Gymnastics since the organization filed for bankruptcy in December 2018.
Nassar is serving decades in prison for sexual assault and possession of child pornography in Michigan. Hundreds of athletes have come forward over the last three years saying he abused them under the guise of treatment. They include reigning Olympic champion Simone Biles and six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman.
But John Manly, a lawyer representing 200 Nassar survivors, including Raisman and McKayla Maroney, said its prospects for approval are poor.
“I’m not in a position to reject it, but in speaking to my clients and other lawyers, there’s a better chance of Donald Trump endorsing Bernie Sanders than the victims accepting this offer,” Manly told The New York Times on Thursday.
In a statement to the AP, he added: “This proposed plan does not include the critical structural changes necessary to ensure the safety of girls moving forward, nor does it appropriately address the myriad physical and emotional challenges the victims face as a result of these crimes.”
“Most disturbingly, this proposed plan attempts to absolve USOPC of any responsibility for these crimes which were committed under its watch. This plan from USAG is not just unworkable, it is unconscionable.”
Rachel Denhollander, the women who first brought Nassar's abuse to public attention in 2016, said she was "beyond disappointed" by USAG's offer, CNN reported.
"Noticeably absent from this plan is any of the specific reforms we've publicly asked for, for years," she tweeted. "How much is a little girl worth? Apparently far less than the damage she's incurred."
USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung told AP the organization wants to “work toward a true consensual settlement" with survivors.
“Our hope is that discussions will continue and more money will be (available),” said Leung, who took over in March 2019. “It's not capped at $215 (million)."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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