USA Gymnastics praised Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney when she came forward this fall with her story of being repeatedly molested by the team's doctor. They applauded her "courage" for coming out and holding monster Larry Nassar accountable.
But a lawsuit filed yesterday by Maroney alleges that USA Gymnastics tried to shut her up almost a year earlier by making her sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of a financial settlement she needed to pay for psychological treatment.
Her attorney, John Manly, told NBC News that the confidentiality agreement was "hypocritical, immoral and in this case illegal."
Manly said:
“Ms. Maroney did not want to enter into an agreement where she could not even speak to her brother and sister or friends about what happened to her. Under the terms of that agreement, she couldn’t even speak to a future fiancé without the threat of being sued. That agreement was written by USA Gymnastics lawyers, and it was designed to do one thing, which is keep their secret from the public.”
The agreement was made just a few months after the first accusations came out about former Olympic doctor Larry Nassar, who has pleaded guilty to molesting 10 girls and possessing child porn.
Maroney's new suit alleges USA Gymnastics forced the confidentiality agreement so "it could further conceal and shield from public scrutiny, outside investigation, and law enforcement, the true nature of Nassar's horrific sexual abuse of minors."