Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, infamous for sexually abusing Olympic and college female gymnasts, was the victim of a stabbing attack by a fellow inmate at a federal penitentiary in Florida. The incident, occurring at the United States Penitentiary Coleman, highlights the severe staffing shortages plaguing the facility.
On Sunday, Doctor Nassar was attacked and sustained multiple stab wounds. Two individuals with direct knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press due to the ongoing investigation, confirmed that Doctor Nassar was in stable condition as of Monday.
According to one source, the assault resulted in stab wounds to Doctor Nassar’s back and chest. Compounding the severity of the situation, both officers assigned to guard the unit where Doctor Nassar was housed were working mandatory overtime due to critical staff shortages.
Erin Blayer, a survivor of Doctor Nassar’s abuse, listens intently to Michigan Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis during a court proceeding related to the Larry Nassar case.
Doctor Nassar is currently serving decades behind bars following convictions in both state and federal courts. His crimes involve the sexual assault of numerous athletes under the guise of medical treatment during his tenure at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for Olympic gymnastics. Furthermore, Doctor Nassar pleaded guilty in a separate case related to the possession of child sexual abuse imagery, adding to the gravity of his offenses.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has been grappling with significant understaffing in recent years. This issue gained national attention in 2019 following the suicide of convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein in a New York federal jail, an incident partly attributed to similar staffing deficiencies.
An in-depth investigation by the Associated Press in 2021 revealed a concerning statistic: nearly one-third of federal correctional officer positions across the nation were vacant. This alarming shortage has forced prisons to reassign staff from essential roles such as cooks, teachers, and nurses to serve as guards. These staffing gaps have demonstrably hindered emergency response capabilities within prison facilities, contributing to tragic outcomes like suicides and, as now evident, inmate violence.
Doctor Larry Nassar in court during a plea hearing in Lansing, Michigan, related to the sexual assault allegations against him.
Further investigations by the AP have uncovered systemic problems within the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s largest agency. These issues range from rampant sexual abuse to various forms of criminal misconduct. The agency, with over 30,000 employees, oversees 158,000 inmates with an annual budget of approximately $8 billion.
Colette Peters was appointed as the new director of the Bureau of Prisons last year, tasked with reforming the agency amidst these ongoing crises. She pledged to overhaul outdated hiring practices and improve transparency within the system. Despite these promises, significant challenges persist, as evidenced by recent events like the suicide of Ted Kaczynski, the “Unabomber,” at a federal facility in North Carolina, and now the attack on Doctor Nassar.
On the day of the stabbing incident, one of the officers in Doctor Nassar’s unit was working his third consecutive 16-hour overtime shift. The other officer was on his second day of mandated overtime, further illustrating the strain on prison staff.
Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Doctor Nassar, expressed the complex emotions of the survivors on Twitter Monday. She stated that none of the women she had spoken with were celebrating the attack on Doctor Nassar. Instead, they were “grieving the reality that protecting others from him came with the near-certainty we would wake up to this someday.”
Sarah Klein, another survivor of Doctor Nassar’s abuse, emphasized that the stabbing has forced victims to relive their trauma. She stated that it brought back the abuse “at the hands of Nassar and the institutions, including law enforcement, that protected him and allowed him to prey on children.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, highlighting legislative changes inspired by the Larry Nassar scandal.
Klein articulated a sentiment shared by many victims: “I want him to face the severe prison sentence he received because of the voices of survivors. I absolutely do not support violence because it’s morally wrong and death would be an easy out for Nassar.”
Over 150 women and girls bravely testified during Doctor Nassar’s 2018 sentencing, detailing the abuse they suffered under the guise of medical treatment. Many testified that they had reported the abuse to adults, including coaches and athletic trainers, over the course of two decades, but their reports were ignored or went unaddressed.
Currently, more than 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, are seeking over $1 billion from the federal government. This lawsuit stems from the FBI’s acknowledged failure to act on allegations against Doctor Nassar in 2015, despite being aware of the accusations. Doctor Nassar was not arrested until 2016 by Michigan State University police, more than a year after the FBI was alerted.
A Justice Department inspector general report in July 2021 concluded that the FBI committed “fundamental” errors in its investigation of the sexual abuse allegations against Doctor Nassar. The report criticized the FBI for not treating the case with the “utmost seriousness,” leading to further abuse of athletes during the delay.
USA Gymnastics had conducted its own internal inquiry, and its then-president, Stephen Penny, reported the allegations to the FBI’s Indianapolis field office. However, a formal FBI investigation was not initiated for several months. The FBI has since admitted its conduct was “inexcusable and a discredit” to the agency.
Michigan State University, criticized for numerous missed opportunities to stop Doctor Nassar, reached a settlement of $500 million with over 300 women and girls who were assaulted by him. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee also agreed to a $380 million settlement to resolve claims related to the Doctor Nassar scandal.
In June 2022, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected Doctor Nassar’s final appeal. Doctor Nassar’s legal team argued that he was unfairly treated during his 2018 sentencing and deserved a new hearing, citing “vengeful remarks” made by Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. Judge Aquilina had referred to him as a “monster” who would “wither” in prison, comparing him to the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz.”
While the Michigan Supreme Court acknowledged “concerns” regarding the judge’s conduct and considered Doctor Nassar’s appeal a “close question,” they ultimately upheld the original sentence agreement.
The stabbing of Doctor Nassar serves as a stark reminder of the widespread impact of his crimes and the ongoing systemic issues within the federal prison system. The incident underscores the long road to healing for survivors and the critical need for accountability and reform within institutions that failed to protect them.
