Weeks after the United States Women\u2019s Gymnastics Team won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, decorated medalist Simone Biles sat near the end of a long witness table in the Hart Senate Office Building. Biles, \u201cthe greatest gymnast of a generation,\u201d was joined by her teammates and fellow abuse survivors: McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman. \u201cWe suffered and continue to suffer because no one at FBI, USAG, or the USOPC did what was necessary to protect us,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have been failed and we deserve answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
These survivors\u2019 testimonies before the Senate Judiciary Committee served as the most recent congressional hearing on sexual abuse within USA Gymnastics.7 Three years prior, Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) launched a bipartisan investigation into USA Gymnastics (USAG) and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC).<\/p>\n
On February 3, Congress heard from five more survivors\u2014this time, former Washington Commanders employees who alleged \u201csexual harassment and verbal abuse within\u201d the organization. Five months after the Senate Judiciary Gymnastics hearing, the House Oversight Committee held its first public roundtable during its investigation into the Washington Commanders\u2019 \u201cworkplace misconduct.\u201d The Oversight Committee\u2019s inquiry followed the NFL\u2019s failure to publish a report on its investigation into the team\u2014which itself started after \u201c[m]ore than a dozen women\u201d accused former employees of harassment. Survivors have called on Congress to release the NFL investigation findings.<\/p>\n
This Note argues that the House Oversight Committee can learn from the accomplishments and missed opportunities of the Senate USA Gymnastics investigations to achieve a Washington Commanders inquiry characterized by bipartisanship, dialogue, and accountability. Part I provides background on the Senate USA Gymnastics proceedings. Part II summarizes the Washington Commanders investigation details. Part III analyzes the lessons\u2014accomplishments and missed opportunities\u2014from the Senate USA Gymnastics investigations. Based on these lessons, Part IV recommends three takeaways for the Washington Commanders investigation: bipartisanship, hearings with survivors and NFL leadership, and accountability. Like USA Gymnastics, the Washington Commanders inquiry serves as a nationally-significant example of sexual misconduct\u2019s stain on sports. Congress must use the lessons from the Senate Gymnastics investigations to promote accountability and women\u2019s safety in sports.<\/p>\n
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