Have you ever tried to cover up a bad decision? We all have! But no matter how creative we are, we will eventually be discovered. Let’s take a look at some individuals who covered up years of Dr. Larry Nassar’s abuse of the gymnasts in his care. In mid-September, there was a Senate Judiciary hearing to learn more details of FBI agents and other people in the athletic field who knew about Larry Nassar’s abuse and did not take action.
Share this information with your teens.
“Two and a half hours into a Senate judiciary committee hearing into the FBI’s mishandling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) offered FBI director Christopher Wray some advice.
The hearing was in response to the July release of a Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s report that found the FBI failed to act in its Nassar investigation ‘with the urgency that the allegations required.’ Specifically, the Inspector General’s investigation found that Michael Langeman, the supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Indianapolis office, lied to investigators to cover up errors made in the bureau’s investigation into allegations that Nassar, the former U.S. Olympic and USA Gymnastics national team physician, sexually assaulted gymnasts under the guise of treatment.
‘A whole lot of people should be prosecuted here besides Nassar,’ said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) during his questioning of Wray and Inspector General Michael Horowitz. ‘Some of the people within the athletic field that were aware of this, turned a blind eye to this, did nothing, allowed all these victims (to be abused). There are a whole lot of people who should be in prison.’”
Story source: Olympians, Senators call for prosecution of former FBI agents for lying about the Larry Nassar case
When you finish sharing the information, discuss the following questions:
- Humanity is very creative. The ways we plan and execute our wrongdoings are often intricate and complex. Why do you think Larry Nassar was able to get away with abuse for so long? (Answers may include: he had other people who kept his secrets, he convinced the girls the abuse was normal, he had a charming personality, no one wants to think poorly of a medical professional, etc.)
- Larry Nassar’s crimes are extensive, horrific, and damaging to so many other people. For us, most of our sin is quite different. How so? (For the typical American teenager, sin is less extreme and subtler. Internal rebellion, defiance, and private sins like lust and pride are easier to hide.)
- Is it fairly easy to deceive ourselves when it comes to our shortcomings? (Rationalizing our behavior is commonplace. No one likes to confront his own weaknesses, so denial and avoidance are often our default positions on sin.)
- Why is it easier to see others’ bad behavior than our own? (It often makes us feel better about ourselves when we compare our external behavior to others. Gossip and pride also become part of the equation.)
Adam and Eve were the archetypes for original sin, and we share in their broken humanity. Let’s see how we can better submit to God’s design for redemption.
