Lindy trains every day. She trains hard. Her friends play video games. They hangout after school. Lindy trains. Her friends wear coordinated colors for Friday Night Lights. Lindy trains. She eats intentionally, sleeps intentionally, trains intentionally, carves out time for homework intentionally. Lindy trains.
She doesn’t intend to tolerate “bad touches” from the doctor that treats her team.
Lindy tells a teammate. Lindy tells her trainer. Lindy tells the FBI.
Lindy is worth gold. She is gold. When competition days arrive she wins gold. Every. Single. Time.
There is no way the doctor touches her. No way he is molesting her. No way he is violating her. No way he could be crushing her spirit. It’s unbelievable.
No one in the gymnastics realm believes her.
Years pass. Despite her trauma she prevails. She wins gold. She is gold. Her gold voice joins with others, 90 others in fact. These women now join together, these women who trained for gold. “Hear us! Hear us!” Now they have finally won – not gold – more than gold. They have been heard. Years after FBI field agents declined to investigate, declined to notify state or local law enforcement, the devil that tried to steal their spirit is caged for life. If he lived two lifetimes he would spend both behind bars.
175 years.
But what of the deaf ears? For years these women reported being molested by a trusted doctor. For years they ask for justice. For years they fought the demons of trauma.
Appallingly, the United States Justice Department has decided not prosecute the FBI agents who ignored the reports of sexual abuse, who declined to notify state and local law enforcement. In the two weeks since this announcement the survivors of USA Gymnastics systemic sexual abuse have filed suit against the FBI for investigative failures seeking combined damages in excess of $1 billion.
There is no doubt they will win gold again.
These women have fire in their spirit and it will be the light of justice.