Two former gymnasts who say they were abused by a coach at an elite Iowa training center have filed lawsuits accusing USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport of failing to act on multiple reports of misconduct, allegedly allowing the coach to continue preying on young athletes.
According to The Associated Press, the civil suits, filed Monday in Polk County, Iowa, center on allegations against Sean Gardner, who previously coached at a Mississippi gymnastics gym before being hired in 2018 by Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines.
Both plaintiffs say they were abused as preteens and young teens after the organizations allegedly failed to remove Gardner from the sport.
According to the filings, USA Gymnastics and SafeSport were notified in December 2017 that Gardner exhibited “inappropriate and abusive behaviors,” including hugging and kissing young girls, making sexual jokes, and engaging in grooming conduct.
The lawsuits say neither organization properly investigated the complaints nor revoked his coaching credentials, enabling him to move to Iowa and continue working with minors.
Chow’s, founded by noted coach Liang “Chow” Qiao — known for training Olympic champions — is also named as a defendant.
The suit claims Qiao and his wife and coaching partner, Liwen Zhuan, did not perform an adequate background check and kept Gardner on staff despite additional concerns raised by parents and athletes.
These are the first civil cases filed since Gardner’s arrest in August, which followed an Associated Press investigation into the allegations.
Gardner faces federal child pornography charges for allegedly hiding a camera in a Mississippi gym bathroom to film minors between December 2017 and April 2018.
Investigators say they found videos on his devices showing at least 10 girls undressing. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed ahead of his trial next month.
California attorney John Manly, who represented survivors in the Larry Nassar case and is part of the legal team handling these suits, said the failures described mirror broader systemic problems.
“It illustrates in my view that the culture of money and medals over child safety is still alive and well in USA Gymnastics and the Olympic system,” Manly said. “What he did was profoundly evil, and they let him do it.”
SafeSport said Monday it had not yet been served with the lawsuit and typically does not comment on litigation. It noted that Gardner was issued a temporary suspension in 2022 “upon receiving the first report of sexual misconduct,” which it said prevented him from coaching until his arrest.
The sanction was upgraded to “ineligible” on Sept. 12 following the federal charges.
The lawsuits allege the two plaintiffs — Iowa State gymnast Finley Weldon and University of Iowa student Hailey Gear — were 11 and 12 years old when they began training under Gardner at Chow’s.
They say they endured “physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, harassment, and molestation” until they left the gym years later. Weldon reported her allegations to police and has previously spoken publicly about her experience.
The suits also lay out a timeline of missed warnings, including a 2018 report from Gardner’s Mississippi employer describing “grooming behaviors” and a 2020 complaint to SafeSport from a Chow’s parent. Neither, the plaintiffs contend, triggered meaningful action.
The gym has said Gardner passed a standard background check when hired and was terminated in July 2022 after SafeSport suspended him, noting “there had been no finding of misconduct at that time.”
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages, and their attorneys expect more gymnasts to file similar claims.
