Lois Frankel: “To continue this, we have to ask this question: Could these young girls have been spared this trauma had proper…”

“To continue this, we have to ask this question: Could these young girls have been spared this trauma had proper procedures been in place? And, of course, today our answer is, hopefully, yes. This legislation is a step in a long journey to change the culture around sexual abuse. Too often institutions, whether they are our colleges, our military, or, here, in this case, an athletic organization, prioritize preserving their reputations and their brands over the people they protect. This legislation will require national sports bodies like USA Gymnastics to file reports of abuse as soon as possible. It will establish mandatory training and require the enforcement of policies preventing, reporting, and addressing these kinds of allegations because protecting our athletes must be a priority. Let their dreams come true.”