Four members of the USA Badminton board resigned yesterday and endorsed the USOC’s move to decertify the struggling NGB, all expressing a lack of confidence in new BOD Chair Ben Lee’s refusal to cooperate with USOC demands. Last Friday, CEO Jeff Dyrek resigned, the same day Lee accused him of refusing to provide financial records related to possible improper spending. Lee also accused the USOC of a “cover up” by demanding changes on the board that is investigating him. Last fall, a USOC audit found severe deficiencies in USAB’s athlete safety, financial, accounting and governance practices, and in April, the USOC gave USAB until July 15 to make big changes or face decertification. After Lee’s letter, four of 12 board members quit: former Chair David Simon, Ray Ng, Jon Schmieder and Yucca Rieschel, saying they had no confidence in Lee, who on Friday told the USOC he will not comply with the USOC’s demands. There are eight remaining BOD members. “I completely disagree with this course of action and do not want to remain on a board whose leadership in my opinion is driving the organization at full speed toward the edge of a cliff,” said Simon, who had served as chair for nearly a decade until Lee won a vote in January. Schmieder wrote, “I see no other alternative for the long-term viability of USA Badminton than for the USOC to begin decertification proceedings immediately.” The four who quit were part of a board majority that gave Dyrek a contract extension last year. Lee told the Orange County Register he stands by his response to the USOC and Dyrek resigned for personal reasons, not because of the investigations.
