Tell Congress we need stronger protections for women and girls in sports!
The petition to Congress reads:
SafeSport has left hundreds of young gymnasts in the care of coaches accused of serious misconduct. Athletes are calling for better protections to prevent not just sexual abuse but physical and emotional abuse from coaches who foster an environment of fear that prevents young women and girls from reporting misconduct.
Why is this important?
In the wake of the wave of revelations of sexual abuse by former U.S.A. Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, many gymnasts bravely came forward to report physical and emotional abuse by their former coaches, which they say enabled the abuse by Nassar. But despite SafeSport’s investigations into these allegations, the coaches continue to work training young women and girls.
One of these coaches, a former Olympic gymnast who was on the U.S.A. Gymnastics coaching staff during Nassar’s tenure, has been accused by 10 women of physical and emotional abuse, including slapping an 11-year-old girl across the face, routinely throwing young athletes to the ground if they made a mistake, and dragging a girl by the neck and arm, leaving visible bruises.
It’s time to change this culture of abuse from the ground up. Add your voice!