Two former gymnasts who say they were sexually abused at a well-known gymnastics academy in Iowa have filed lawsuits against USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The gymnasts accuse these organizations of ignoring multiple warnings about coach Sean Gardner, allowing him to continue working with young athletes despite serious allegations.
The lawsuits, filed Monday in Polk County, Iowa, say reports about Gardner’s inappropriate behavior first surfaced in December 2017, when parents and coaches raised concerns about him hugging and kissing girls and engaging in other grooming actions at a Mississippi gym. Despite these complaints, USA Gymnastics and SafeSport did not properly investigate or stop Gardner. The coach went on to work at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines in 2018, where the plaintiffs say more abuse occurred.
Chow’s Gymnastics, founded by Olympic coach Liang “Chow” Qiao, is also named in the lawsuits. The gym is known for training Olympic champions like Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. The suits claim Qiao and his wife, Liwen Zhuan, failed to properly check Gardner’s background and kept him employed even after complaints about inappropriate touching and grooming behaviors.
One of the plaintiffs is Finley Weldon, an Iowa State gymnast who reported Gardner to police and spoke out publicly. The other is Hailey Gear, a 19-year-old student at the University of Iowa. Both were around 11 or 12 years old when they started training under Gardner in 2018. They describe suffering physical, emotional, and sexual abuse while hoping to one day compete in the Olympics.
The allegations include Gardner forcing girls to give him long hugs, making sexual jokes, inappropriate social media comments, kissing gymnasts on the forehead, and even stalking a girl after being told to stop contact. Reports also say he held closed-door meetings where he verbally abused athletes and drank alcohol in front of them.
Gardner was arrested by the FBI in August and faces federal child pornography charges. Investigators say he secretly recorded videos of at least 10 minors in a Mississippi gym’s bathroom between late 2017 and early 2018. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed while awaiting trial next month.
SafeSport said it temporarily suspended Gardner in 2022 after receiving the first report of sexual misconduct. His status changed to “ineligible” following his arrest. The center acknowledged receiving reports of other misbehavior but said some concerns were never properly investigated. USA Gymnastics declined to comment beyond saying it takes the case seriously.
The lawsuits aim to hold not just Gardner but also the organizations and individuals who failed to protect young athletes accountable. Several other gymnasts have come forward with similar claims, and more legal action may be on the way. The case highlights ongoing worries about the safety and oversight within the sport, despite reforms made after the Larry Nassar scandal.
For now, two young women who once dreamed of Olympic glory want justice—and the hope that no other athletes will have to face what they did.