Off the deep end

Note: this section contains descriptions of sexual abuse that may be offensive to some readers and/or painful to survivors of sexual assault.

The GIST: After USA Gymnastics dealt with the monster that is Larry Nassar back in 2017, it’s now time for USA Swimming to confront some demons.

The details: Last week, six women filed lawsuits against USA Swimming for failing to protect them from sexually predatory coaches throughout the 1980s. The women say that USA Swimming, along with local swimming associations in California, assisted in creating an abuse culture within the organization.

• The women named multiple coaches in three separate lawsuits, including a former national director and a former coach, Andrew King, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2010 after being found guilty of 20 charges of child molestation, including impregnating a 14-year-old.

• The six women say their abuse occurred as early as age 11 and that those in charge at USA Swimming were aware of the harassment and abuse and did nothing to end it. Absolutely horrible.

The next step: The women are now calling for an investigation into the named abusers and those who enabled them, which is possible thanks to a new California Assembly Bill that allows victims of child sexual abuse to file claims that had otherwise expired under the statute of limitations (because f*ck statute of limitations).

• Whatever happens next, we’ll let you know. ICYMI, 2020 is a year of reckoning. About damn time.