GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The United States Olympic Committee is demanding the resignation of the entire USA Gymnastics board following the Larry Nassar scandal.
In a letter sent to the board, the committee’s CEO Scott Blackum demanded the board members resign by the end of next week or face decertification.
The demands come after former sports doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 years to 175 years in prison Wednesday for sexually abusing his patients. That’s on top of the 60-year sentence he already received for federal child pornography charges.
Nassar was a well-regarded sports doctor for Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics for decades. More than 100 girls and women, including U.S. Olympians, say he sexually assaulted them under the guise of medical treatment.
Thursday’s letter to the USA Gymnastics board outlined a number of reforms the U.S. Olympic Committee would like to see implemented following the Nassar scandal.
“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,” Blackum said in the letter. “Every athlete connected in any way with USAG must feel safe, supported, and encouraged to speak freely about threats to their safety whether SafeSport-related or otherwise. USAG culture’s must foster this in all ways.”
A total of 156 girls, women and supporters faced Nassar in court or had their statements read during the six days of his sentencing. Many of the survivors criticized the USAG, USOC and Michigan State for not doing enough.
Amid increasing criticism of the way the university handled complaints against the former sports doctor, MSU President Lou Ann K. Simon resigned Wednesday night.
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