A Gymnastics Coach’s Alleged Crimes Expose Failures in Child Protection After Larry Nassar

The Case Against Sean Gardner

Sean Gardner, a gymnastics coach who once trained elite young girls with Olympic dreams, is facing a dramatic turn in his federal case in Mississippi. Originally pleading not guilty to twelve felony counts of sexual exploitation of children, Gardner is scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a change of plea hearing, suggesting he may be ready to admit guilt. The charges against him are deeply disturbing: prosecutors allege that Gardner secretly installed a hidden camera in the girls’ bathroom at a gymnastics facility in Purvis, Mississippi, where he worked. Between 2017 and 2018, this camera allegedly recorded young girls, ranging in age from approximately six to fourteen years old, as they undressed and changed into their leotards. When FBI agents raided Gardner’s home, they discovered what they describe as a horrifying collection—approximately fifty videos and four hundred photos that serve as evidence of his alleged crimes. Perhaps most damning, investigators found footage that appears to show Gardner himself turning the hidden camera on and off, suggesting deliberate intent and awareness of his actions. This case represents far more than the alleged crimes of one man; it symbolizes a systemic failure that many feared would happen again after the Larry Nassar scandal rocked the gymnastics world.

Broken Promises After the Nassar Scandal

The Gardner case stands as potentially one of the first major failures in protecting young gymnasts since the Larry Nassar scandal exposed widespread abuse in the sport. Nassar, the disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor who pleaded guilty to molesting numerous young gymnasts, became a symbol of institutional failure and betrayed trust. In the aftermath of that scandal, USA Gymnastics leadership made sweeping promises to overhaul their safety protocols and ensure that such abuse could never happen again. They pledged to put children’s safety first, to investigate concerns thoroughly, and to prevent predators from moving between gymnastics facilities. Yet a CBS News investigation has revealed troubling evidence that these promises may have been empty. As early as 2018, the mother of a young gymnast reached out to USA Gymnastics with serious concerns about Gardner’s behavior that she found inappropriate and worrying. Despite this early warning, Gardner was somehow able to transition from his position at the Mississippi gym to a new coaching role at Chow’s Gymnastics & Dance in West Des Moines, Iowa—one of the most prestigious training centers in competitive gymnastics. Chow’s has an illustrious reputation, having produced Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. Instead of being investigated and stopped, Gardner was apparently given access to an even more elite group of young athletes. Now, separate lawsuits accuse Gardner of abusing at least five young gymnasts at Chow’s, raising painful questions about how he was allowed to continue coaching.

The Evidence USA Gymnastics Allegedly Ignored

Attorney John Manly, who represented over 180 plaintiffs in lawsuits against Larry Nassar, is now representing victims of Gardner’s alleged abuse, including eighteen-year-old gymnast Finley Weldon. Manly is suing both Gardner and Chow’s Gymnastics on behalf of Weldon and others. He doesn’t mince words when discussing USA Gymnastics’ handling of the situation. “Had they done any kind of even surface investigation, they would have found this plethora of abuse that’s sitting there,” Manly said bluntly. “There was plenty of evidence. They just didn’t either do it or want to see it.” Manly’s assessment paints a picture of an organization that either lacked the competence to investigate properly or, more troublingly, lacked the will to uncover abuse that would damage the sport’s reputation. His client, Finley Weldon, echoes the frustration and betrayal felt by many young gymnasts. Reflecting on the brave women who spoke out against Nassar, Weldon told CBS News with evident pain in her voice, “They were brave and they spoke out so this wouldn’t happen again. And it happened again.” Her words capture the heartbreak of survivors who believed their courage might protect the next generation, only to see similar patterns repeat. Gardner and his attorney have not responded to interview requests. Similarly, the owners of Chow’s Gymnastics and their legal representatives have remained silent to media inquiries, though they have formally denied all claims brought against the facility in court documents. USA Gymnastics provided only a brief, carefully worded statement: “We appreciate the seriousness of this case. Because it is an ongoing legal matter, USA Gymnastics cannot offer further comment.” This response has done little to reassure critics that the organization has truly changed its approach to child safety.

Liberty Raines: A Young Girl’s Normalized Abuse

Liberty Raines was just eleven years old when she walked into Jump’In Gymnastics in Purvis, Mississippi, with big dreams of becoming a college gymnast. Like many young athletes, she was eager to work with the best coaches available, and Sean Gardner seemed like the perfect choice. “There were just a lot of girls that he produced to be good gymnasts,” Raines recalled. “[He] was highly looked up to and respected.” Gardner was charismatic and skilled at his job, which made it easy for young girls and their parents to trust him completely. Looking back now, Raines realizes she was too young to recognize that her coach’s behavior was deeply inappropriate, especially the ritual that ended nearly every practice. “Each of us would line up to get a hug, and he would kiss us on our forehead, and pat us each on the butt,” Raines explained. This physical contact happened so routinely that it seemed normal to the young girls. “It was so normalized,” Raines said. “I don’t think any of us thought anything of it.” As time went on, Raines said Gardner’s touching escalated. She recalls him touching her inappropriately in the middle of practice sessions, particularly while he was spotting her on the bars—a time when a coach’s hands would naturally be on an athlete, making it easier for him to mask his intentions. Raines was too young to process what was happening or to find the words to speak up about it.

During the same period, warning signs were being raised by concerned parents. The mother of another young Mississippi gymnast sent an email to USA Gymnastics expressing her concerns that Gardner was giving young gymnasts “very long, front-facing, two-armed hugs with long kisses on the forehead.” Additionally, Gardner’s boss at the Mississippi gym later stated in an email that she had informed USA Gymnastics about Gardner’s “grooming behavior” as early as January 2018. Despite these red flags, Gardner was able to leave Mississippi later that year and secure a position at Chow’s Gymnastics & Dance in Iowa, moving from one USA Gymnastics-affiliated facility to another without apparent hindrance. For Raines, the full horror of what had happened became clear only when FBI agents approached her during their investigation into Gardner’s alleged use of a hidden camera. They showed her a disturbing image captured when she was changing in the girls’ bathroom at her Mississippi gym. “They had a picture of me. It was very traumatic and scary for me,” Raines said, her words conveying the violation and trauma of discovering she had been secretly recorded in one of the few places where a child should feel completely safe.

Finley Weldon’s Experience at Chow’s Gymnastics

At Chow’s Gymnastics in Iowa, Sean Gardner found himself in an even more prestigious position, coaching young athletes who had realistic Olympic aspirations. Among his new students was Finley Weldon, a talented eleven-year-old gymnast who dreamed of representing her country on the world stage. From the very beginning, Weldon sensed something was wrong with her new coach. She describes Gardner acting “weird” from their first interactions, making inappropriate jokes and asking teenage girls invasive questions about their sex lives—conversations that had no place in a coaching relationship with minors. “I knew something was not really right about him,” Weldon said, trusting her instincts even as a young girl. Unfortunately, like many young athletes, she may have felt powerless to act on those instincts or uncertain whether adults would believe her. Weldon alleges that Gardner would touch her inappropriately while she was stretching and during training sessions when he was spotting her during gymnastics routines. Looking back with the perspective of someone older and more aware, Weldon is clear about what was necessary and what crossed boundaries: “You don’t need to do that to spot somebody,” she said firmly. Her attorney, John Manly, argues forcefully that the initial concerns raised about Gardner in Mississippi should have prompted USA Gymnastics to launch a rigorous, thorough investigation. Had such an investigation occurred, Manly contends, Gardner would never have been allowed to move from Mississippi to Iowa, and Weldon would never have encountered him. “Finley should have never laid eyes on him. He should never have been in a gym,” Manly stated. Now, Weldon is one of at least five gymnasts who are suing Gardner and Chow’s Gymnastics, alleging that he abused them during his time at the Iowa facility.

Investigation, Arrest, and Moving Forward

Following the Nassar scandal, Congress attempted to address the systemic failures in youth sports by passing the Safe Sport Authorization Act in February 2018. This legislation gave the U.S. Center for SafeSport the authority and jurisdiction to investigate allegations of misconduct and sexual abuse in Olympic sports. However, a representative from SafeSport stated that the organization did not receive a report of sexual misconduct against Gardner until 2022—four years after the initial concerns were raised and four years after he had moved to Iowa. When SafeSport finally learned of the allegations against Gardner, the representative said the organization issued a suspension that removed Gardner from coaching positions. By that time, however, the damage had already been done to multiple young athletes. The FBI arrested Sean Gardner in August 2025, after police executed a search warrant at his Iowa apartment. Electronic devices seized during that search reportedly uncovered the alleged hidden camera recordings that had been taken in the Mississippi gym bathroom years earlier, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa. Gardner’s arrest came after a 2021 drunken driving incident that had already raised questions about his judgment and character.

For Finley Weldon, the path forward has required tremendous courage and resilience. She left Chow’s Gymnastics after raising concerns about Gardner’s behavior, but she refused to let his alleged abuse steal her love of the sport. She continued training and this year competed as a freshman on the Iowa State University gymnastics team, fulfilling at least part of her childhood dream. “I think my passion and love for gymnastics shined way brighter than him doing what he did,” Weldon said with evident pride and determination. Unfortunately, in March, Iowa State announced it would discontinue its gymnastics program, forcing Weldon to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Despite this additional setback, she remains hopeful about joining a new collegiate gymnastics team in the coming months. Her story represents both the resilience of survivors and the ongoing challenges faced by young athletes trying to pursue their dreams while navigating systems that have repeatedly failed to protect them. As Gardner prepares for his change of plea hearing, many are watching to see whether this case will finally prompt the wholesale changes that USA Gymnastics promised after Nassar—or whether the cycle of abuse and institutional failure will continue.