REUTERS/Mike Blake
McKayla Maroney claims that in 2016, she and USA Gymnastics struck a deal to keep quiet any mention of the medalist’s abuse at the hands of former team doctor Larry Nassar. “They were willing to engage in a systematic cover-up of the entire matter,” said Maroney’s attorney John Manly, who filed a lawsuit on Wednesday on behalf of the gymnast. Manly declined to disclose how much money the organization paid Maroney for her silence, but The Wall Street Journal reports that she was given $1.25 million. “I want people to understand that this kid had no choice. She couldn't function. She couldn't work,” Manly said. “They [USAG] were willing to sacrifice the health and well-being of one of the most famous gymnasts in the world because they didn't want the world to know they were protecting a pedophile doctor.”