The entire USA Gymnastics board was forced to resign today. According to NBC News, the United States Olympic Committee demanded that they all give up their positions within six days, or they threatened to decertify USA Gymnastics all together.
There has been much debate over how the board of directors chose to handle all of Larry Nassar’s sex-abuse reports. As we previously reproved, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. This week he was sentenced to 175 years in prison, which was added on top of his 60-year sentence for child pornography charges. During the trial, more than 150 girls and women came forward and spoke out about their experiences of abuse by Nassar.
“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,” CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement.
The USAG board weren’t the only ones to resign during this scandal. Gymnastics President Steve Penny resigned last year, and this week, Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon and Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis also stepped down.
TSR STAFF: Myeisha E.! @myeisha.essex
