Gymnast says coach abused her years after USA Gymnastics vowed reform after Nassar

A former gymnast says she was sexually abused by her coach years after the Larry Nassar scandal prompted USA Gymnastics to promise sweeping reforms, raising new questions about whether the sport's governing body acted on early warnings about the alleged predator. Sean Gardner, a former coach who worked at gyms in Mississippi and Iowa, was due in federal court in Mississippi for a change-of-plea hearing after being charged with 12 felony counts tied to the sexual exploitation of children, according to CBS News. Finley Weldon, a gymnast who trained under Gardner in Iowa, alleges he touched her inappropriately during coaching sessions at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance in West Des Moines. The charges and Weldon's account come more than seven years after the Nassar case forced USA Gymnastics to vow it would protect athletes from abuse.

The Details

According to the Department of Justice, prosecutors allege Gardner placed a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018, and used it to create videos of minors undressing. The Department of Justice said Gardner moved from Mississippi to Iowa in 2018, and devices seized from his West Des Moines apartment in 2025 allegedly contained the hidden-camera recordings from Mississippi. CBS News reported that Gardner was due in federal court in Mississippi for a change-of-plea hearing after being charged with 12 felony counts tied to the sexual exploitation of children.

CBS News reported that a mother and a gym owner raised concerns with USA Gymnastics in 2018 about Gardner's hugging, kissing, and alleged grooming behavior—before he relocated to Chow's Gymnastics and Dance in West Des Moines, Iowa. Attorney John Manly, who represents survivors in gymnastics abuse cases, told CBS News: "Had they done any kind of even surface investigation, they would have found this plethora of abuse that's sitting there."

Finley Weldon, a gymnast who trained at Chow's, told CBS News that Gardner later coached her there and touched her inappropriately while stretching and spotting her during training. "I knew something was not really right about him," Weldon said.

CBS News reported that at least five young gymnasts have sued Gardner over alleged abuse at Chow's. The Associated Press reported that court records show Gardner was accused of sexually abusing at least three gymnasts at Chow's and that USA Gymnastics had been informed by SafeSport that Gardner was suspended from all contact with gymnasts.

The Des Moines Register reported on April 22, 2026 that Gardner intended to plead guilty in the Mississippi child pornography proceedings even as additional allegations connected to his time in Iowa remained under scrutiny.

Weldon drew a direct line between her experience and the Nassar survivors who spoke out years earlier. "They were brave and they spoke out so this wouldn't happen again," she told CBS News. "And it happened again."

Context

The case surfaces more than seven years after the Nassar scandal rocked USA Gymnastics and led to congressional action. Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor, pleaded guilty in 2017 and was sentenced in 2018, prompting promises of sweeping safety reforms. Congress passed the Safe Sport Authorization Act in February 2018, expanding the U.S. Center for SafeSport's authority to investigate abuse allegations in Olympic sports.

Gardner's ability to move from Mississippi to Iowa in 2018, and to continue coaching after concerns were raised with USA Gymnastics, illustrates what survivors and attorneys say is a persistent gap between the reforms promised after Nassar and the protections actually delivered to young athletes. The Department of Justice said devices seized from Gardner's West Des Moines apartment in 2025 allegedly contained the hidden-camera recordings from Mississippi, suggesting a years-long trail of digital evidence spanning his time in both states.

What's Next

Gardner's change-of-plea hearing in Mississippi federal court will determine his legal status in the child pornography case. The Iowa allegations remain under scrutiny, and multiple lawsuits filed by former gymnasts are pending. Attorneys for the athletes have signaled they will continue pressing for accountability from both Gardner and USA Gymnastics over whether earlier warnings were adequately investigated. SafeSport's suspension of Gardner and the ongoing federal prosecution mark what survivors and their advocates say should be the beginning of a broader examination of how gymnastics coaches are vetted and monitored when they move between states and gyms. The Des Moines Register reported in April 2026 that the Mississippi plea proceedings would move forward even as the Iowa allegations continued to be examined.