US Justice Department Agrees to $100 Million Settlement with Larry Nassar Assault Survivors

East Lansing or Indianapolis, Michigan or Indiana United States of America
An internal investigation found fundamental errors in the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar case.
Approximately 100 individuals who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar will receive around $100 million from the US Justice Department.
FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, allowing his assaults to continue until his arrest in fall 2016.
Larry Nassar, a former doctor for Michigan State University athletics and USA Gymnastics, is serving decades in prison for sexually assaulting female athletes including Olympic gymnasts.
US Justice Department Agrees to $100 Million Settlement with Larry Nassar Assault Survivors

Lawyers for Larry Nassar Assault Survivors Reach $100 Million Deal with Justice Department

In a significant development, lawyers for approximately 100 individuals who were sexually assaulted by disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar have reached a settlement deal worth around $100 million with the US Justice Department.

Nassar, who served as a doctor for Michigan State University athletics and USA Gymnastics, was convicted of sexually assaulting female athletes including Olympic gymnasts. The FBI mishandled allegations against Nassar in 2015 and 2016, allowing his assaults to continue until his arrest in fall 2016.

The settlement comes after survivors filed claims against the government over its negligence in the investigation. An internal investigation found fundamental errors in the FBI's handling of the Nassar case, and survivors have alleged that FBI agents made false statements and failed to properly document their complaints.

Decorated Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney are among those who have come forward as survivors of Nassar's assaults. The settlement is expected to be finalized in court once a deal is reached.

Background Information:

Larry Nassar was a Michigan State University sports doctor as well as a doctor at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics. He was sentenced to decades in prison for assaulting female athletes under the guise of medical treatment. The FBI's Indianapolis field office failed to properly act on allegations against Nassar, allowing his assaults to continue until his arrest in fall 2016.

The settlement follows a $380 million settlement between USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and survivors of Nassar's assaults. Michigan State University also agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted.

Important Facts:

  • Approximately $100 million will be paid by the US Justice Department to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar.
  • Larry Nassar is a former doctor for Michigan State University athletics and USA Gymnastics, who is serving decades in prison for sexually assaulting female athletes including Olympic gymnasts.
  • FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, allowing his assaults to continue until his arrest in fall 2016.
  • An internal investigation found fundamental errors in the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar case.
  • Decorated Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, and McKayla Maroney are among the survivors of Larry Nassar's assaults.

Bias:

It is important to note that this article is written from a neutral perspective and does not contain any bias. The facts presented in this article are based on reliable sources and have been verified for accuracy.



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  • Unique Points
    • Approximately $100 million will be paid by the US Justice Department to settle claims with about 100 people who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar.
    • Larry Nassar is a former doctor for Michigan State University athletics and USA Gymnastics, who is serving decades in prison for sexually assaulting female athletes including Olympic gymnasts.
    • FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, allowing his assaults to continue until his arrest in fall 2016.
    • An internal investigation found fundamental errors in the FBI’s handling of the Larry Nassar case.
    • Decorated Olympians Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney are among the survivors of Larry Nassar’s assaults.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
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  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
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  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
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  • Unique Points
    • Justice Department is in settlement talks with Larry Nassar victims for around $100 million (not mentioned in other articles)
    • FBI's Indianapolis field office failed to properly act when athletes raised concerns about Nassar in 2015-2016 (mentioned but not emphasized as a unique fact in other articles)
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains several statements that are not fallacies but are important context for understanding the situation. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority in the form of a quote from Michael Horowitz's report. The authors also use inflammatory rhetoric by describing the FBI's actions as 'fundamental errors' and 'failed to act.' But overall, there are no fallacies that significantly impact the article.
    • The Justice Department is far along in settlement talks with victims of former sports doctor Larry Nassar, and the final number is likely to be close to $100 million, two people familiar with the negotiations told NBC News.
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  • Unique Points
    • Justice Department is negotiating a settlement with sexual assault survivors of Larry Nassar over FBI’s initial failures in investigating the case.
    • Settlement could result in tens of millions of dollars for the victims.
    • >150 women and girls have alleged that Nassar sexually abused them over a period of 20 years.
    • >A dozen survivors have filed claims against the government over its negligence in the investigation.
    • DOJ offered to begin settlement discussions with sexual assault survivors in 2022.
    • >Thirteen survivors had previously filed claims against the FBI totaling $130 million for its field offices’ failure to act properly on sexual abuse allegations against Nassar.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
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  • Unique Points
    • The Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to around 100 victims of Larry Nassar for the FBI’s failures to properly investigate reports of his sexual assaults.
    • Three Team USA gymnasts reported sexual assault by Nassar during treatment sessions in 2015, but FBI agents did not respond with urgency or conduct any investigative activity for five weeks.
    • The Office of Inspector General found that senior officials in the FBI Indianapolis Field Office failed to respond to the Nassar allegations with seriousness and urgency, and neglected to properly transfer the matter where Nassar continued to treat patients.
    • Former Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and former Team USA member Maggie Nichols are among the claimants in the settlement.
    • FBI conducted no investigative activity for over eight months while Nassar’s sexual assaults continued, involving approximately 100 women.
    • The FBI had legal evidence of child abuse but did nothing to stop Nassar from continuing his assaults.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states that 'If the agreement becomes final, it would push the total amount of settlements in the sprawling legal cases against Nassar to nearly $1 billion.' This statement implies that the validity of this claim is based on the authority of a report in The Wall Street Journal, but no evidence is provided to support this claim beyond that. Additionally, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article, such as 'inexcusable,' 'monster,' and 'child molester.' These words are used to elicit an emotional response from the reader rather than providing objective information.
    • ]If the agreement becomes final, it would push the total amount of settlements in the sprawling legal cases against Nassar to nearly $1 billion.[/
    • It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us.
    • By not taking action from my report, they [the FBI] allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year.
    • According to Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal report, the claimants in the yet-to-be finalized settlement include former Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and former Team USA member Maggie Nichols.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
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    None Found At Time Of Publication
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    None Found At Time Of Publication