Former gymnast Jeanette Antolin has called on USA Gymnastics' corporate sponsors to "apply pressure on the governing body" to force President & CEO Steve Penny and other top officials out and to "implement strategies and policies to combat sexual abuse," according to the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Antolin: "If corporations like Kellogg’s came out did stuff like that then (USA Gymnastics) would be obligated to make change. ... That’s the only way at this point. (USA Gymnastics board members are) clearly not willing on their own to stand up to Penny and force him out. If people stopped buying Kellogg’s because they support USA Gymnastics, that would help. It’s almost like we have to campaign to have the right thing done. We’ll have to start a hashtag #dontsupportKelloggs or something.” Antolin "filed suit in Orange County Superior Court in January alleging she was sexually abused" by former team doctor Larry Nassar and sexually harassed by '84 U.S. Olympic team coach Don Peters. Antolin "joined a number of former athletes who said they are outraged and offended by 'An Open Letter to the USA Gymnastics Community' that the organization released Friday, a day after the USOC recommendation" that Penny resign. Antolin: "They’re trying to cover their (rears). ... They still haven’t apologized to anybody for what happened to us." Antolin is also "skeptical about USOC’s motives in calling for Penny’s removal." Antolin: "All of these people have power and they had a chance to make changes that were essential to many but they didn’t. ... It’s frustrating to know so many people were aware of this a long time ago and did nothing about it.” Of USA Gymnastic's $23.7M in revenue for FY '15, $6.1M "came from marketing and sponsors," while $2.47M came from the USOC (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 3/15).
