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Sean Gardner Gymnastics Abuse Lawsuit
If you were sexually assaulted by Sean Gardner or any coach, please contact us for a private consultation.
It’s Happening Again.
Sean Gardner, former gymnastics coach, was arrested by the FBI on August 15, 2025, for possession of child pornography after being suspended from coaching years ago following allegations of sexually abusing young gymnasts.
Just as the dust was starting to settle from former Dr. Larry Nassar’s sex abuse scandal in 2018, multiple reports of Gardner’s sexual assault from girl gymnasts in Mississippi and Louisiana, Gardner landed his dream job in 2018, training elite-level Olympic hopefuls at the celebrated Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in Iowa where there is evidence he assaulted multiple young girls. He coached at Chow’s for four years before being suspended.1
Finley Weldon, the now-18-year-old who says she wants her name out there “because I was the one who did come forward,” told the Associated Press days after Gardner’s arrest:
“I felt like I needed to speak out to keep it from happening to other little girls. I knew it would just be a continuous cycle if nobody did.”
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What Happened to Former Coach Sean Gardner in 2022?
Behind the scenes in July 2022, according to court records exclusively procured by the Associated Press (AP), Gardner was banned by the US Center for SafeSport from coaching or contacting gymnasts. SafeSport is the watchdog agency established after the Larry Nassar 2018 Olympic scandal to protect Olympic athletes from sexual predators.2
SafeSport had already reported Sean Gardner to USA Gymnastics for photographing + videotaping girls naked in the locker room with hidden cameras during his tenure at Jump’In Gymnastics and Tumbling in Mississippi.3
“The FBI said Tuesday it believed Gardner “primarily targeted children” at the gyms in Iowa and Mississippi, as well as at Athletes in Motion in Prairieville, Louisiana, where he worked from 2004 to 2014. The agency said it was seeking to identify additional potential victims.”4
Critics of the organization say its process is “slow and murky.” SafeSport counters that the temporary suspensions and sanctions are a way to act quickly; however, it still hasn’t resolved this case + it took the FBI more than three years to arrest Gardner, leaving survivors and their families in limbo.5
“It’s unclear why the case took so long to investigate and also when the FBI, which had to pay $138 million to Nassar’s victims for botching that investigation, got involved in the case.”5
“It seems that if SafeSport is involved in any way, the situation turns ‘glow-in-the-dark toxic.’”6
It is true that many girls have a hard time speaking up about what happened to them. Especially those at Chow’s may be reluctant to attach abuse to the academy.
Finley Weldon, however, emphasized: “I didn’t want him to take away anything from me, especially something that I love. None of the girls that I started with or went through the things that I did with Sean are still doing gymnastics today. So that’s something I’m very proud of.”
“I’m so proud of these brave women for speaking up. As a survivor myself, I know how scary it can be to come forward. In the end, knowing that sharing my story helped others from being abused made it all worth it. It’s never too late to help others and seek justice. A Case For Women was there for me and helped me find my voice and I’m sure they will be there for you.”
– Kim Bergman, Survivor and Co-Director of Protecting Kansas Children From Sexual Predators
What Are the Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Sean Gardner?
“Producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
This is the only documented charge so far, but officials say there may be others. The FBI speculates Gardner “primarily targeted young girls” between 6-14.7
“When the FBI raided Gardner’s residence, it uncovered 50 video files and 400 photos, including some that appeared to be child pornography, according to the FBI affidavit. One video allegedly shows Gardner entering the bathroom and turning off the camera.”8
Other survivor accusations include:
- Inappropriate spotting/ touching.
- Photographing/ videotaping girls in the locker room.
- Dropping sexual comments/ asking sexual questions.
Weren’t All the Abuse Problems in Gymnastics About Larry Nassar?
No. Sexual abuse in elite sports, not the least of which is gymnastics, is a far more pervasive issue that screams systemic problems, including enabling + harboring predators.
The Nassar scandal served to open the door for survivors to speak their truth + shocked the world into facing how deeply sexual abuse is embedded in team sports, even at (or especially at) the highest levels of competition.
Why Are We Just Now Talking About This?
Women who have been sexually assaulted may have real difficulty speaking up, fear retaliation in the competitive sports world, or have a “what will the neighbors think” mentality. Add to this case the notoriety of Chow’s Gymnastics Academy, which may have contributed to an early survivor dropping her case and/or contributed to other survivors being reluctant to taint their coveted association with Chow’s.9
“I didn’t want him to take away anything from me, especially something that I love.”8
– Finley Weldon
“You want to leave a thumbprint on their life, so when they go off hopefully to school, to bigger and better things, that they remember Chow’s as family.”
– Sean Gardner
What Can You Do to Help?
It may be scary to come forward and tell your story, but we and the sexual assault lawyers we team up with do all the heavy lifting. To the last woman who has spoken out about being sexually assaulted, there is nothing quite as freeing as having your voice heard.
We helped survivors of Larry Nassar’s abuse pursue civil legal action against Michigan State University and others. We have also been involved in many sexual abuse/ assault lawsuits involving elite-level sports: cheerleading, soccer, university team sports, and others.
Since 2015, we have continued disrupting the status quo by focusing exclusively on helping women navigate the civil court system. You’ve got this. We are here to help you 24/7/365.
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Sources
- Ryan J. Foley, Eddie Pells, “Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI,” Associated Press/ AP, August 19, 2025.
- Foley, Pells, “Years after.”
- Ryan J. Foley,“Gymnastics coach arrested on child pornography charges” ESPN, August 19, 2025.
- Foley, Pells, “Years after.”
- Nancy Armour, “U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to protect athletes from abuse. But is it working?” USA Today, August 22, 2025.
- Armour, “U.S. Center.”
- Foley, “Gymnastics coach.”
- Foley, “Gymnastics coach.”
- Foley, Pells, “Years after.”9 Jason Haynes, “Sport, Sexual Violence and the Law: A Feminist Critique and Call to Action,” National Institutes of Health/ NIH, November 2022.
WE WEAR THIS BADGE PROUDLY. Because, in a time when legal services are still dominated by men, only a Women Owned Business can bring the woman’s perspective to issues that disproportionately affect women.
We are the ones, far more than men, who are injured by sexual assault, financial scams, the gender pay gap, toxic chemicals, and the misguided practices of powerful pharmaceutical companies.
