USA Gymnastics board to resign
USA Gymnastics board to resign
after sex abuse scandal
The entire board of the US national governing body for
gymnastics is to resign as demanded by the head of the US
Olympic Committee. US authorities are opening broader
investigations into sexual abuse in sports.
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman at the sentencing hearing for
former doctor Larry Nassar
US Olympic Committee (USOC) Chief Executive Officer Scott
Blackmun had called on the board of USA Gymnastics (USAG) to
resign by next Wednesday following the conviction of former
national team doctor Larry Nassar after more than 140 women
accused him of sexual abuse.
In response to a question on the board's position on Friday,
spokeswoman Leslie King wrote in an email: "USA Gymnastics
will comply with the USOC requirements."
Five USAG directors had resigned in the immediate aftermath of
Nassar's conviction. USOC had threatened to remove USAG's
authority to run the sport if the other 16 directors failed to step
down.
Blackmun also outlined six steps for reform of USA Gymnastics.
"While the USOC encourages USAG to think and act broadly on
reforming its culture, we also believe that reform must start with
an entirely new board," Blackmun wrote in a letter to USA
Gymnastics' board.
USOC called for an investigation by an "independent third party
to examine how an abuse of this proportion could have gone
undetected for so long."
Broader investigations some of the gymnasts who survived the abuse said they would Cntinue their work to bring the ruling sports bodies to account.
Nassar worked for USAG for four Olympic Games but the
allegations only came to light in 2016.
Olympic medalist Aly Raisman said in an interview with ABC's
"The View" that "Everyone stood up for him." She added: "My
work, and the army of survivors, we're not done yet. We still
have to hold these organizations accountable."
US gymnast Simone Biles training at the Texas training center in
2015 where she was abused by the convicted doctor.
Congressional hearings
The US House of Representatives, Senate and the Department of
Education are opening investigations into possible sexual abuse
in sports. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is to hold
a hearing on the Nassar case and into sexual abuse reports in
USA Swimming and taekwondo.
"The abhorrent abuses associated with Dr. Nassar's case and the
allegations by US Taekwondo athletics and US swimmers are
disgusting and outrageous, and raise serious concerns about
protecting athletes from abuse and mistreatment in organized
sports," said Representative Greg Walden, the House committee
chairman. "These organizations must have mechanisms in place
to ensure complete oversight and prevent such abuses from
occurring. As we move forward in gathering the facts, this
committee intends to hold a hearing in order to investigate these
critical issues further."
Michigan State University
Students at Michigan State University planned on Friday to
gather for a "March for Survivors and Change." The students
wrote: "It is clear there are those in places of power, including
on the MSU Board of Trustees, who failed to provide support to
the student body and to the victims of Nassar's abuse."
The protest to demand MSU President Simon's resignation has turned into a
march to support survivors of ex-MSU Larry Nassar's sexual abuse
More than 300 students to demand Simon's resignation Friday
More than 300 students plan to march across campus Friday to demand MSU
President Lou Anna K. Simon’s resignation, and more than 600 students are "interested" in attending.
Nassar had been a Michigan State sports physician from 1997 to
2016.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is to conduct a "review"
of Michigan State. US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whose
department will also investigate the university commented:
"What happened at Michigan State is abhorrent. It cannot ever
happen again." The school's sports director, Mark Hollis, retired
on Friday, two days after the school's president, Lou Anna
Simon, stepped down.
Reminder to wear teal tomorrow in support of the sexual assault survivors that
our university failed to protect! #TimesUp
USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and Michigan State
have all denied wrongdoing. USAG said it reported the sexual
abuse allegations to authorities when it learned about them and
also denied allegations of a cover-up.
jm/sms (Reuters, AP)
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