USA Gymnastics

Gymnasts have sued USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport, alleging both failed to protect athletes from coach Sean Gardner and that USA Gymnastics knew as early as 2017 he posed a "serious & present danger" but did not warn parents. The complaint details alleged grooming and abusive behaviors at a Mississippi gym — including long mandatory hugs, retaliation, closed‑door meetings, kissing gymnasts' foreheads, sexual jokes, inappropriate social‑media conduct, excessive drinking around minors and stalking — and says investigators who seized devices in late May found, per sealed court documents, hidden‑camera images of girls about 6–14 who were nude, using the toilet, or changing into leotards; USA Gymnastics declined to comment due to ongoing litigation.