10-7-2023 (WASHINGTON) Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, including Olympic medalists, was stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at the United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida. The incident occurred on Sunday and Nassar was reported to be in stable condition on Monday.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Nassar was stabbed in the back and chest. The prison was experiencing staffing shortages, and the officers assigned to the unit where Nassar was held were working mandated overtime shifts.
Nassar is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for convictions in state and federal courts. He admitted to sexually assaulting athletes while working at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. Additionally, Nassar pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
The federal Bureau of Prisons has faced significant staffing shortages in recent years, which came to public attention following the suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein in a New York federal jail in 2019. An investigation by the Associated Press in 2021 revealed that nearly one-third of federal correctional officer positions nationwide were vacant, resulting in prisons relying on employees from other roles to oversee inmates. These staffing shortages have hindered the response to emergencies in various prisons, including incidents of self-harm.
On the day of the attack, both officers in Nassar’s unit were working overtime shifts, with one officer on their third consecutive 16-hour day.
The case against Nassar drew widespread attention as more than 100 women, including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, accused him of abuse and sought over $1 billion from the federal government for the FBI’s failure to act on earlier allegations. The FBI’s handling of the case was heavily criticized, with an inspector general’s investigation revealing fundamental errors and a lack of seriousness in their response to the allegations against Nassar.
In recent years, Michigan State University agreed to pay $500 million to more than 300 women and girls assaulted by Nassar, while USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee reached a $380 million settlement.
Larry Nassar’s appeal was rejected by the Michigan Supreme Court in June 2022, bringing some closure to the case.
