Indianapolis Star Investigation Exposes Nassar Abuse After FBI Sat on Allegations for 14 Months

On September 12, 2016, the Indianapolis Star published an investigation exposing Larry Nassar’s systematic sexual abuse of gymnasts, breaking the story that the FBI had failed to investigate for over a year. The newspaper investigation, led by reporters who uncovered the FBI’s institutional failures, finally triggered law enforcement action when the Michigan State University Police Department executed a search warrant on Nassar’s residence in September 2016. The Indianapolis Star investigation demonstrated how journalism succeeded where federal law enforcement deliberately failed, bypassing the FBI’s institutional protection of USA Gymnastics to expose decades of abuse.

The Indianapolis Star’s reporting revealed that USA Gymnastics had systematically covered up sexual abuse by coaches for decades. Between 1996 and 2006, USA Gymnastics received sexual abuse complaints filed against 54 coaches, banning 37 of them from gymnastics but allowing others—including some convicted of crimes—to continue coaching without notifying law enforcement or member clubs. This pattern of institutional cover-up created an environment where Larry Nassar could abuse hundreds of young athletes with impunity while USA Gymnastics prioritized reputation management over athlete safety.

The newspaper investigation also exposed how the Karolyi Ranch training facility near Huntsville, Texas—operated by coaches Béla and Márta Károlyi—created an ’emotionally abusive environment’ that gave Nassar opportunities to abuse gymnasts far from their parents’ supervision. Within the isolated environment of the Karolyi Ranch, described by survivors as ’two hours away from nothing,’ Nassar had broad latitude to commit crimes unimpeded by any effective child-protective measures. The combination of the Ranch’s emotional abuse culture and USA Gymnastics’ systematic failure to investigate complaints created ideal conditions for predatory abuse.

The Indianapolis Star’s journalistic investigation succeeded where the FBI, USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and Michigan State University all failed: it prioritized the safety and voices of young athletes over institutional reputation and legal liability. The reporting finally triggered the law enforcement response that the FBI had deliberately delayed, leading to Nassar’s arrest in 2016 on federal child pornography charges. However, the 14-month delay caused by FBI inaction meant that approximately 70 additional young athletes had been sexually abused by Nassar between July 2015 and September 2016—abuse that could have been prevented if the FBI had fulfilled its basic investigative obligations.

The Indianapolis Star investigation demonstrated the critical role of independent journalism in exposing institutional corruption when law enforcement agencies become captured by the institutions they are supposed to regulate. The FBI’s failure to investigate credible sexual abuse allegations from elite Olympic athletes revealed that federal law enforcement prioritized its relationship with USA Gymnastics and the USOC over the safety of children. The newspaper’s decision to publish despite potential legal threats from powerful sports organizations exemplified journalism’s essential function in democratic accountability when official institutions systematically fail to protect the vulnerable.