USOC Fires Exec Who Failed To Respond To Claims
The USOC fired Chief of Sports Performance Alan Ashley today after a self-commissioned report discovered he failed to respond adequately to complaints of sex abuse at the hands of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. The report also faults former CEO Scott Blackmun for inaction in the period between July '15, when USA Gymnastics first made the USOC aware of the allegations, and an Indianapolis Star report about the Nassar complaints in September '16. Investigators said the results of that silence over those 14 months was catastrophic.
“USAG’s and the USOC’s inaction and concealment had consequences: dozens of girls and young women were abused during the year-long period between the summer of 2015 and September 2016,” the report reads.
That 14-month period roughly coincides with an especially momentous period for the USOC, which included the collapse of the Boston Olympic bid, the launch of the replacement L.A. Olympic bid and the complex preparations for the '16 Rio Games. Neither Blackmun nor Ashley told anyone else inside the USOC who might be reasonably expected to be informed of such a serious allegation, including board members or members of the team in charge of investigating abuse claims, investigators found. Investigators say that Blackmun told them in an interview he instituted an internal USOC response, but then he backed off those claims after investigators informed him they could not corroborate his testimony.
“It was disappointing that the board really did not learn of any of this information until the time the Indy Star articles came out,” said USOC BOD member and incoming Chair Susanne Lyons. “It certainly gives us a lot of impetus to ensure that important issues are escalated and brought to the attention of leadership and the board so appropriate action can be taken in the future.”
In another case, both Blackmun and Ashley deleted an email received in September '15 that identified Nassar by name. Ashley denied any recollection of that email; Blackmun said he deleted it because he was worried about hackers gaining access. Blackmun retired in February amid the Nassar furor, citing health concerns. Neither Ashley nor Blackmun immediately responded to requests for comment.
Outgoing USOC Chair Larry Probst said of Blackmun’s role in the report: “What we learned from the Ropes & Gray report is disappointing, surprising, sobering, and aside from all the really good things that Scott accomplished, this is obviously not his shining moment.”
Ashley was fired this morning. He did not dispute the report’s findings, USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland said. Terms of his separation, including any severance pay, are not finalized, Hirshland said. Other than Ashley, no other employees have yet been punished as a result of the report. However, the USOC is not yet done fully reviewing the report, Hirshland said.
Former Chief of Security Larry Buendorf also was informed by USA Gymnastics of the investigation, but Buendorf promptly went to Blackmun, who then did not pursue it further, investigators found. Also, Rick Adams, then Chief of Sports Operations, was asked by USA Gymnastics to come to Indianapolis to assist in the investigations, but Blackmun denied that request.
Hired in February by the USOC, Ropes & Gray interviewed more than 100 people and reviewed 1.3 million documents, according to its report. The report also blames the general culture of elite gymnastics and the loose oversight given to national sport governing bodies by the USOC of the years.
“The USOC also chose to adopt a deferential, service-oriented approach to the National Governing Bodies (‘NGBs’), including USAG,” the report reads. “As a result of this approach, the USOC was not in a position to know whether the NGBs were implementing strong, effective policies [to combat sexual abuse]. And the NGBs, operating independently, enacted a wide range of policies and procedures, many of which failed to conform to best practices.”
Separately, the report also documents how the elite gymnastics culture acclimatizes athletes to accept as normal elements that facilitate abuse, such as separation from family, social isolation, excessive deference to authority and acceptance of extreme physical discomfort. The USOC said it was satisfied with Ropes & Gray’s work.
“We now have a much more comprehensive view of individual and institutional failures,” Lyons said. “Everyone in the Olympic and Paralympic community, including the USOC, must learn from the report and take appropriate actions to strengthen protections for athletes. We recognize that we must do more, and we will do more.”
