Major Controversies Surrounding Larry Nassar: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Larry Nassar.

Lawrence Gerard Nassar is an American former osteopathic physician who served as the team doctor for the United States women's national gymnastics team from 1996 to 2014. He was convicted of numerous counts of sexual assault, exploiting his position to abuse hundreds of young athletes. His actions constitute one of the largest sexual abuse scandals in sports history, leading to widespread condemnation and legal repercussions.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1992: Sexual Assault

In a lawsuit that was filed in April 2017, a woman claimed that Nassar had sexually assaulted her while he was in medical school in 1992.

1997: Complaints to Authorities

As early as 1997, female athletes stated they complained to authorities including various employees at Michigan State University about Nassar's behavior.

1998: Sexual Assault

On November 22, 2016, Nassar was indicted on several state charges of sexual assault of a child from 1998 to 2005. The crimes allegedly began when the victim was six years old.

2000: Sexual Abuse of Rachael Denhollander

In May 2017, Rachael Denhollander said in court that Nassar had sexually abused her on five doctor's visits in 2000 when she was 15 years old.

2001: Karolyi Ranch Designated

Since 2001, the Karolyi Ranch had been the USA Gymnastics designated U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Training Center in Huntsville, Texas.

2004: Child Pornography

On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in 2004, possession of pornographic images of children dating from 2004 to 2016, and tampering with evidence.

2005: Sexual Assault

On November 22, 2016, Nassar was indicted on several state charges of sexual assault of a child from 1998 to 2005. The crimes allegedly began when the victim was six years old.

2008: Molestation of McKayla Maroney Begins

In October 2017, McKayla Maroney said that Nassar had repeatedly molested her from 2008, when she was 13 years old, until she retired from the sport in 2016.

June 17, 2015: Report to USA Gymnastics Officials

On June 17, 2015, Maggie Nichols and her coach, Sarah Jantzi, reported Nassar to USA Gymnastics officials after the coach overheard Nichols and another gymnast talking about Nassar's behavior.

September 2016: USA Gymnastics Cuts Ties with Nassar

In September 2016, USA Gymnastics cut ties with Nassar "after learning of athlete concerns".

September 20, 2016: Accusations of Sexual Abuse

On September 20, 2016, The Indianapolis Star reported that Rachael Denhollander and another former gymnast had accused Nassar of sexual abuse. Also, Nassar was fired by Michigan State University on September 20, 2016, after having been reassigned from clinical and teaching duties in August.

November 22, 2016: Indictment on State Charges

On November 22, 2016, Nassar was indicted on several state charges of sexual assault of a child from 1998 to 2005. He was charged with 22 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with minors.

December 8, 2016: Arraignment and Plea

On December 8, 2016, Nassar was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was later arrested after the FBI found more than 37,000 images of child pornography and a video of Nassar molesting underage girls.

December 2016: Arrest on Suspicion of Sex Crimes

In December 2016, Larry Nassar was arrested on suspicion of sex crimes while living in Holt, Michigan.

2016: Nassar Arrested

In 2016, Nassar was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting at least 265 young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment, including Olympic and United States women's national gymnastics team gymnasts.

2016: Molestation of McKayla Maroney Ends

In October 2017, McKayla Maroney said that Nassar had repeatedly molested her from 2008, when she was 13 years old, until she retired from the sport in 2016.

2016: Child Pornography

On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in 2004, possession of pornographic images of children dating from 2004 to 2016, and tampering with evidence.

February 2017: 60 Minutes Interview

In February 2017, three former gymnasts, Jeanette Antolin, Jessica Howard, and Jamie Dantzscher, gave an interview for 60 Minutes, alleging sexual abuse by Nassar and an emotionally abusive environment at the Karolyi Ranch.

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April 6, 2017: Medical License Revoked

On April 6, 2017, Nassar's medical license was revoked for three years.

April 2017: Lawsuit Filed

In a lawsuit that was filed in April 2017, a woman claimed that Nassar had sexually assaulted her while he was in medical school in 1992.

May 2017: Rachael Denhollander's Court Statement

In May 2017, Rachael Denhollander, one of the first women to accuse Nassar publicly, said in court that Nassar had sexually abused her on five doctor's visits in 2000 when she was 15 years old.

May 2017: Victim Impact Statements

In May 2017, during victim impact statements, several victims described Nassar's modus operandi: gaining trust, then inserting his ungloved finger into her vagina during physical therapy, calling it normal pressure point therapy.

July 11, 2017: Nassar Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges

On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and tampering with evidence.

July 11, 2017: Guilty Plea to Federal Charges

On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in 2004, possession of pornographic images of children dating from 2004 to 2016, and tampering with evidence.

October 2017: McKayla Maroney's Accusation

In October 2017, Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney, using the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, said that Nassar had repeatedly molested her from 2008 until she retired from the sport in 2016. She subsequently filed a lawsuit against Nassar, Michigan State University, the United States Olympic Committee, and USA Gymnastics.

November 2017: Aly Raisman's Accusation and Gabby Douglas' Tweet

In November 2017, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman said during a 60 Minutes interview that Nassar had also sexually abused her when she was 15 years old. Gabby Douglas sent a tweet saying that "dressing in a provocative/sexual way incites the wrong crowd," which was criticized and later apologized for. Douglas then admitted she was also a victim of Nassar's abuse.

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November 22, 2017: Guilty Plea in Ingham County

On November 22, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty in Ingham County Circuit Court to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with minors under the age of 16.

November 29, 2017: Guilty Plea in Eaton County

On November 29, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to an additional three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County.

December 7, 2017: Nassar Sentenced to Federal Prison

On December 7, 2017, Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and tampering with evidence.

January 2018: Investigation Promised into Nassar Abuse

In January 2018, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette promised a full investigation into how Larry Nassar was able to abuse young women for decades while working at the state's university. MSU agreed to pay $500 million to 332 of Nassar's alleged victims.

January 2018: Accusations of Abuse by Gymnasts

In January 2018, former national team member Maggie Nichols said that Nassar abused her. Also in January 2018, Biles came forward with accounts that she, too, had been sexually abused by Nassar. In January 2018, Jordyn Wieber made an impact statement at Nassar's court sentencing, in which she also accused Nassar of sexually abusing her during her time at USA Gymnastics.

January 18, 2018: Accusations of Sexual Assault

As of January 18, 2018, 135 women had accused Nassar of sexual assault while he worked for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. During the following week, the number rose to 150.

January 24, 2018: Nassar Sentenced in Ingham County

On January 24, 2018, Nassar was sentenced to an additional 40 to 175 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections, after pleading guilty in Ingham County to seven counts of sexual assault.

January 31, 2018: Number of Victims

On January 31, 2018, a Michigan judge said that there were "over 265 identified victims and an infinite number of victims" of sexual misconduct.

February 2, 2018: Father Charges at Nassar

On February 2, 2018, during victim impact statements, Randall Margraves, father of three victims, charged at Nassar after being denied five minutes alone with him in a locked room.

February 5, 2018: Nassar Sentenced in Eaton County

On February 5, 2018, Nassar was sentenced to an additional 40 to 125 years in Michigan State Prison after pleading guilty to an additional three counts of sexual assault in Eaton County.

July 2018: Nassar Seeks New Sentencing Hearing

In late July 2018, Larry Nassar sought a new sentencing hearing, claiming that Judge Aquilina was unfairly biased; however, his request was denied by Eaton County Judge Janice Cunningham.

2018: Lawsuits filed against Nassar and affiliated organizations

As of 2018, over 150 federal and state lawsuits had been filed against Larry Nassar, Michigan State University, the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, and the Twistars Gymnastics Club, leading to resignations from the boards of USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.

2019: HBO Documentary Released

In 2019, HBO released a documentary titled "At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal" about Nassar's serial sexual abuse and cover-ups.

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2019: Investigation Suspended

On Christmas Eve 2019, Dana Nessel, Schuette's successor, announced that she was suspending the investigation into Nassar's abuse.

2020: Netflix Documentary Released

In 2020, Netflix released the documentary "Athlete A", based on Nassar's scandal and crimes.

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July 2021: Department of Justice Report Issued

According to a report issued in July 2021 by the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, at least 70 more athletes were subjected to abuse between the time of reports to the FBI and the arrest of Nassar by state authorities, while Nassar's victims stated that the number abused in that period was 120.

September 15, 2021: Gymnasts Testify Before U.S. Senate

On September 15, 2021, four elite American gymnasts, McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman, testified before the U.S. Senate regarding the mishandling by FBI agents of abuse allegations brought against Nassar and how the agents made false statements regarding their reports and misinformation about the botched investigation.

April 2022: Lawsuit Against the FBI

In April 2022, 13 of Nassar's victims filed a lawsuit against the FBI for negligence and other alleged investigatory failures related to the investigation.

July 9, 2023: Nassar Stabbed in Prison

On July 9, 2023, Larry Nassar was stabbed 10 times at USP Coleman, allegedly due to lewd remarks he made while watching the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. He was treated at a nearby hospital and subsequently transferred to Federal Correctional Institution, Lewisburg.