Back in June when Paul Parilla, the board chair of USA Gymnastics, was being deposed for one of the many lawsuits filed against the sports federation by victims of Larry Nassar, the former national team doctor who has been accused of sexually abusing gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment, he was asked if USA Gymnastics had settled with any victims in California.
Parilla, an Orange County-based lawyer, did not answer the question.
Now an Olympian with knowledge of the case has told the Southern California News Group that USA Gymnastics had, indeed, settled out-of-court with Nassar victims. This may constitute a violation of California law AB-2875, which states that “a confidential settlement agreement is prohibited in any civil action the factual foundation for which establishes a cause of action for civil damages for an act that may be prosecuted as a felony sex offense.”
It also strongly suggests that USA Gymnastics was trying to keep the public from the learning the full scope of Nassar’s abuses against gymnasts.
This weekend, USA Gymnastics is hosting its national championships in Anaheim, Calif. at the same time that their attorneys are arguing that the civil trials should be held in Indiana, where the organization is headquartered. The judge said that the issues of secret settlements should be dealt with after the court rules on the jurisdiction issue.