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Police conducting investigation into Twistars owner John Geddert

February 6, 2018
Jordyn Wieber of the United States received a hug from her coach, John Geddert, left, in the women's floor exercises apparatus finals at North Greenwich Arena during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England, Tuesday, August 7, 2012. Wieber finished seventh in the competition. Photo courtesy David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT
Jordyn Wieber of the United States received a hug from her coach, John Geddert, left, in the women's floor exercises apparatus finals at North Greenwich Arena during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England, Tuesday, August 7, 2012. Wieber finished seventh in the competition. Photo courtesy David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT —

The Eaton County Sheriff's Office confirmed it is actively investigating claims made against former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert.

The office will not comment further because the investigation is ongoing, according to Jerri Nesbitt, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office.

Geddert's ties to ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar through Twistars, Geddert's former gymnastics club in Dimondale, Michigan, and DeWitt, Michigan, have kept him in the public eye during Nassar's sexual assault trials.

Twistars did not respond to comment at the time of publication.

Since at least Jan. 30, the Twistars website has listed Geddert's wife, Kathryn, as the club's sole owner. Geddert wrote an email to the families of gymnasts at Twistars revealing his plans to retire, according to a message obtained by the Lansing State Journal.

USA Gymnastics suspended Geddert on Jan. 22, according to ESPN. During victim impact statements at Nassar's trials, multiple women blamed Geddert for not doing more to prevent the abuse that occurred at his gym.

Geddert had a reputation of being tough on his gymnasts, and multiple impact statements made in court included accusations of verbal abuse and willful ignorance of Nassar's actions by Geddert.

In 2017, former MSU gymnastics coach Kathie Klages served as a substitute for another Twistars employee a few months after retiring from MSU. Klages reportedly knew of allegations against Nassar as early as 1997, and was suspended by the university amid the Nassar investigation before retiring the next day.

According to the gym, Klages was simply “helping (Geddert) out for two days” and did not return afterwards.

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison during the last day of his Eaton County sentencing on three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct on Monday. That sentence is to be served concurrently with his conviction in Ingham County, which came with a sentence of up to 175 years.

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