U.S. Olympic Committee begins to clean house in wake of Larry Nassar conviction
Entire board of directors of USA Gymnastics resigns at request of organization
USA Gymnastics has confirmed that its entire board of directors will resign as requested by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The move came Friday in the fallout from the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. The former USA Gymnastics sports doctor has been pleaded guilty to molesting girls and young women. Some of the nation's top gymnasts, including Olympians Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles and Jordyn Wieber, said they were among his victims.
The USOC had threatened to decertify the gymnastics organization, which besides picking U.S. national teams is the umbrella organization for hundreds of clubs across the country. A handful of board members had stepped down, but the USOC said a wholesale change was needed.
The USOC has also demanded much tighter reporting from USA Gymnastics on reforms it is making. It also required all USAG staff and board members to complete various safety and ethics training courses over the next six months.
Also on Friday, Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis has stepped down because of that school's association with Nassar.
Hollis has been in the job for 10 years. He announced his retirement two days after Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon stepped down amid the outcry over how the school handled allegations against Nassar, a former school employee accused of dozens of molesting girls and young women for years.