Parents, athletes raised red flags about Gardner
Chow, USA Gymnastics slow to act on complaints
SafeSport sanctioned coaches who failed to report
Long before his banishment from gymnastics and arrest after accusations he abused girls he coached, warning signs about Sean Gardner were coming from several directions – his former boss, his gymnasts and their parents.
The former boss says she brought her concerns about Gardner’s “grooming” behavior to USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body. The parents and girls described telling coaches of inappropriate behavior at Gardner’s new job, an academy that produced Olympians and is owned by renowned coach Liang “Chow” Qiao.
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