Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar, who treated gymnasts on the USA gymnastics team and another Michigan-based gymnastics club, was sued Tuesday by 18 women and girls alleging sexual assault over a 20-year time period.
This is the fifth lawsuit against Nassar, who denies all allegations of abuse as well as pending charges that he possessed child pornography and sexually assaulted a girl at his home in Holt, Michigan, according to The Associated Press.
Nassar was fired from Michigan State University in 2016 and the university is reviewing Nassar’s clinical work there. USA Gymnastics has cut all ties with the doctor and he is being held in jail without bond because of the criminal charges, the AP reported.
The lawsuit also names Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, and John Geddert’s Twistars gymnastics clubs for not acting when allegations about Nassar were made to them, the Lansing State Journal stated.
Nearly all the women were minors when the alleged assaults occurred.
The suit claims Nassar carried out assaults during medical treatments without getting consent or recording his actions in the females’ medical records, the Lansing State Journal reported. Nassar has claimed his actions were part of the women’s medical treatments, even though the way he carried out the so-called treatments violated Michigan’s health standards and regulations.
One of the victims, Rebecca Denhollander, and an unnamed Olympic gymnast came forward publicly in September and reported the assaults to the media.
Since then, nearly 60 women have accused Nassar of sexually assaulting them.