ACCOUNTABILITY OVERDUE
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In August 2025, the FBI arrested gymnastics coach Sean Gardner on federal child pornography charges. Court records showed Gardner was accused of sexually abusing at least three young gymnasts and secretly recording others undressing in a gym bathroom. December lawsuits revealed that USA Gymnastics and SafeSport were told about "inappropriate and abusive behaviors" as early as December 2017 but failed to properly investigate or revoke his credentials, enabling him to continue coaching until 2022.
Attorney John Manly, who represented survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse, was blunt: the case "illustrates that the culture of money and medals over child safety is still alive and well in USA Gymnastics and the Olympic system." Eight years after Nassar's conviction of abusing more than 265 women and girls, including Olympic champions Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglas, the system created to prevent such abuse was failing again.
The Gardner case exposed what many already knew: SafeSport's disciplinary process remained too slow, too opaque, and too ineffective. Four members of Congress introduced the bipartisan Safer Sports for Athletes Act in December 2024, but with Congress ending its session, the bill died and must be reintroduced in 2025. The legislation would impose a 180-day deadline on case resolutions, require case managers for every investigation, and increase SafeSport's funding fivefold from $2 million to $10 million annually. It mandates that 20% of funding go to prevention efforts and requires 20% of SafeSport's board be recommended by amateur athletes. This isn't suggestion. It's structural reform with teeth.
Meanwhile, international standards advanced with concrete guidance. In December 2025, more than 100 sports and exercise experts backed by the IOC issued 56 specific recommendations to protect female athletes, drawing from 600 research articles and consultation with current athletes. The FAIR recommendations addressed everything from preventing body shaming to accommodating menstruation, pregnancy, and breast health, acknowledging that female athletes have specific needs long ignored by sports systems built for men.
The message in 2025 was unmistakable: women's sports would no longer tolerate systems that failed to protect athletes. Congress must act in 2026. The Safer Sports for Athletes Act deserves immediate reintroduction and passage. Eight years of broken promises is enough. [RS]
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Sources:
New global sports guidelines target body shaming and harassment to protect female athletes || Sean Gardner: Ex-coach at renowned US gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI years after abuse reports || USA Gymnastics and Olympic sports watchdog failed to stop coach’s sexual abuse, lawsuits allege || U.S. CENTER FOR SAFESPORT: Added funding of $10 million and faster decisions proposed in reform bill introduced in U.S. House || Body shaming increases risk of injury for female athletes, IOC says || Reps. Ross, Joyce, Castor, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help End Abuse and Sexual Violence in Sports
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