USA Gymnastics bowed to the demands of the USOC on Friday night and confirmed that "all the remaining members of its board of directors would resign," according to Matt Stevens of the N.Y. TIMES. The announcement came one day after USOC CEO Scott Blackmun "threatened in an email to decertify" USAG if its "entire board of more than 20 people did not resign by next Wednesday." As of Friday, the USAG website that "once listed its board of directors was redirecting readers" to a page about the '18 American Cup. A cached version of the site from Tuesday "lists 18 directors," not including the three members who resigned last week. USAG bylaws say the board "shall consist of 21 directors" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/27). Meanwhile, the House Energy & Commerce Committee announced that it would "investigate Michigan State, the USOC and USAG, along with USA Swimming and USA Taekwondo, in relation to sexual abuses alleged in those sports" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/27).
WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? In Indianapolis, Evans, Alesia & Kwiatkowski wrote, "USA Gymnastics is in a fight for its life." Sponsors are "bailing" and gymnasts are "demanding reforms." USAG -- once a "cash-rich darling of the Olympic movement -- is now squeezed between a self-inflicted public relations nightmare and a host of lawsuits that could cripple it for years." Sources said that the problem is USAG officials "need to be transparent if they hope to regain the public’s trust, while the lawsuits prohibit them from saying anything that would amount to an admission of guilt." Nancy Hogshead-Makar, who founded the advocacy group Champion Women, is "skeptical of Blackmun getting tough" on USAG. Hogshead-Makar: "My take on Scott Blackmun coming down suddenly is a move to cover his own past inaction. He’s finally doing something. But is that actually going to protect children?" She added, "Decertification or getting new people on the board, I don’t think that’s how you get to a healthier sport. It’s about giving athletes a voice. It’s about enacting basic child protection rules that every other youth organization has" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/28). In N.Y., Christian Red noted Blackmun released an apology last week to the hundreds of victims and families affected by Larry Nassar, but attorney Bob Allard, who has represented dozens of female athletes who are survivors of sexual abuse, "saw right through" his words. Allard: "The reason (Blackmun) said what he said? He had nowhere else to go. When it comes to child protection, we cannot afford to have someone who makes such reactionary decisions." He added, "Actions speak louder than words. Under Blackmun's leadership, all we hear are words" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/28).
