Jonathan Little

Jonathan Little is a true trial lawyer, committed to fighting for justice in the courtroom. Unlike many who claim the title but rarely see a jury, Jon has been passionately trying cases since he began his legal career in 2007. Starting as a prosecutor in Flagstaff, Arizona, Jon’s life changed when he learned that his college girlfriend, elite swimmer Brooke Taflinger, was sexually abused by her high school swim coach, setting the stage for Jon’s lifelong crusade against abuse of any kind in sports. Jon is a fearless litigator who takes on powerful institutions in order to protect the vulnerable from being exploited and systemically abused. He is committed to making a difference one case at a time.

Sexual Abuse in USA Swimming

In 2008, Jon relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, the amateur sports capital of the world, shifting his focus to a cause that would define his career: advocating for athletes who suffer sexual abuse at the hands of their coaches. Since then, Jon has been at the forefront of protecting athletes. He filed the first sexual abuse case against USA Swimming on behalf of Brooke Taflinger, which exposed countless victims of sexual abuse. Jon’s groundbreaking work has not only brought justice to numerous victims, winning them millions of dollars, but his relentless pursuit of justice led to the establishment of the United States Olympic Committee’s first SafeSport program in 2010—a direct result of his advocacy. Though, as Jon would later find out, SafeSport was a band aid on a bullet hole, designed to protect the USOC rather than athletes.

Jon remains steadfast in his belief that litigation and trial exposure are crucial in holding powerful entities accountable. He views publicizing institutional abuses as one of the few effective remedies available to ordinary citizens. His career is a testament to this philosophy, marked by his continuous efforts to challenge and expose wrongdoing. These efforts led to exposing the largest sexual abuse scandal in sports history.

USA Gymnastics and Institutional Sexual Abuse

Knowing USA Gymnastics had drawers locked away of sexual abuse complaints against coaches (and also Larry Nassar) at their headquarters in Indianapolis, Jon begged every official he came into contact with to do something. Finally, when USA Gymnastics failed to ask the court to seal files of these complaints as they routinely did to keep the systematic abuse of children athletes quiet, Jon’s colleague Jessica told the IndyStar about a case Jon was working on in Georgia. That tip toppled USA Gymnastics and led to the prosecution and conviction of Larry Nassar.

In addition to representing athletes, Jon represents all vulnerable victims of institutional abuse. He has represented abuse victims of priests, rabbis, teachers, coaches, prison guards, and unfortunately others. He knows how to handle the complex litigation along with the complex emotions that come with litigating cases of sexual abuse. He has also represented clients in consumer class action suits, clients facing criminal charges ranging from cockfighting to murder, and has even obtained U.S. citizenship for an athlete just days before the Olympic Trials.

Jon is an accomplished athlete himself, having competed in the 2008 United States Olympic Trials in the marathon and ran professionally for Brooks Running until 2010. He was a varsity runner at both Rutgers and Indiana University, and his personal experience in elite-level athletics gives him unique perspective and credibility when representing athlete clients.