USOC tells its athletes ‘We must change the culture of the sport’ after Larry Nassar sentencing

The U.S. Olympic Committee published an open letter to its athletes on Wednesday shortly after former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on charges of sexual criminal misconduct. The letter signed by USOC CEO Scott Blackmun included an apology to athletes and outlined next steps — including a turnover of leadership in USAG — to be taken in the aftermath of the massive scandal.

Prominent U.S. Olympians such as Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, and McKayla Maroney were among the more than 150 victims who stepped forward with accounts of sexual abuse committed by Nassar under the guise of medical treatment. He attended the Olympics between 1996 and 2008 with the U.S. gymnastics team, and continued to treat U.S. gymnasts until he was officially fired in 2015.

In the letter, Blackmun noted how the victim impact statements during the seven-day sentencing hearing were “worse than our own worst fears.” He also wrote that the USOC “should have been there to hear it in person.”

The letter outlined four next steps to be taken:

The most immediate course of action suggested by the USOC in the pursuit of a culture change is the complete turnoever of all USAG directors in the hopes that it will “help create a culture that fosters safe sport practice, offers athletes strong resources in education and reporting, and ensures the healing of the victims and survivors.”

Prior to this letter, three USA Gymnastics board members had resigned in the wake of the Nassar scandal. Chairman Paul Parilla, Vice Chairman Jay Binder, and Treasurer Bitsy Kelley all submitted their resignations to CEO Kerry Perry earlier this week.

Aly Raisman recently called out the entire organization for being “100 percent responsible” for fostering a culture that allowed this abuse to happen and continue for years, and specifically criticized Perry for barely attending the past week’s court sessions to support the many athletes reading victim statements.

In addition to that change in leadership, the letter also makes clear that if USA Gymnastics does not “fully embrace” the recommended and necessary changes in governance outlined in this letter that the USOC will pursue decertification of USAG as a National Governing Body. An independent investigation of USA Gymnastics and its leadership by a third party will also begin and the report will be made public when it is completed.

The changes outlined in this open letter are encouraging after the many missteps the USOC and USA Gymnastics have made throughout this process. One thing that is more than clear after a week of victim statements is that USA Gymnastics has failed these gymnasts for years and that any sort of healing or recovery will not be easy. But if they want to rebuild the trust between the sport’s governing bodies and the athletes they purport to protect and nurture, the steps outlined in this letter are promising first changes for an organization that desperately needs them.

The U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association also shared a letter applauding the courage of the women who spoke out against Nassar and sharing information on resources available to any athletes in need.

Read the full text of the letter below

To Team USA:

The athlete testimony that just concluded in the Nassar hearings framed the tragedy through the eyes of the victims and survivors, and was worse than our own worst fears. It was powerful because of the strength of the victims, survivors and parents, who so eloquently and forcefully told their stories and so rightfully demanded justice. The USOC should have been there to hear it in person, and I am deeply sorry that did not happen.

The purpose of this message is to tell all of Nassar’s victims and survivors, directly, how incredibly sorry we are. We have said it in other contexts, but we have not been direct enough with you. We are sorry for the pain caused by this terrible man, and sorry that you weren’t afforded a safe opportunity to pursue your sports dreams. The Olympic family is among those that have failed you.

I know this apology is not enough. We have been working on taking steps at the USOC and mandating changes among National Governing Bodies to ensure this does not happen again. Our next steps will be these:

1. We Must Change the Culture of the Sport. This was the primary recommendation of the independent Deborah Daniels Report on USA Gymnastics and the athlete testimony underlined its importance. We heard athletes describe being unsure or unaware of how to report abuse and to whom, and sometimes even what constitutes abuse. We heard athletes describe being afraid or discouraged from reporting abuse. We heard athletes describe feeling hurt, betrayed, discounted and alone. Since October of last year, we have been engaged in direct talks with USAG leadership on this fundamental point. New leadership at the board level is critical and you recently saw three USAG board resignations. Further changes are necessary to help create a culture that fosters safe sport practice, offers athletes strong resources in education and reporting, and ensures the healing of the victims and survivors. This includes a full turnover of leadership from the past, which means that all current USAG directors must resign.

2. We Must Change the Governance Structure of the NGB. We need to help USA Gymnastics better support its mission, which is to provide the best resources and safest environment for athletes to train and compete. We have strongly considered decertifying USAG as a National Governing Body. But USA Gymnastics includes clubs and athletes who had no hand in this and who need to be supported. We believe it would hurt more than help the athletes and their sport. But we will pursue decertification if USA Gymnastics does not fully embrace the necessary changes in their governance structure along with other mandated changes under review right now.

3. We Must Know Who Knew What and When. The USOC has decided to launch an investigation by an independent third party to examine how an abuse of this proportion could have gone undetected for so long. We need to know when complaints were brought forward and to who. This investigation will include both USAG and the USOC, and we believe USAG will cooperate fully. We will make the results public.

4. We Must Support Safe Sport Victims and Survivors. Team USA safe sport assault victims and survivors need access to testing, treatment and counseling. The USOC will devote substantial funds to help provide these resources to victims and survivors. We are working on the details of how this funding will become available to athletes and will communicate them soon.

I hope that all members of Team USA remember that the USOC ombudsman office is always available to provide free, independent and confidential help to athletes with concerns or questions about safe sport or other matters. Contact information, along with other helpful athlete resources, are here.

In order to bring even more focus and urgency to these important points, the USOC board of directors has mobilized a board-level working group chaired by independent board member Susanne Lyons. Susanne can be reached at susanne.lyons@usoc.org.

Finally, I invite any member of Team USA to communicate with me or Ms. Lyons directly if there is more that you think the Olympic family can or should be doing for you and your families.

Sincerely, Scott Blackmun

Chief Executive Officer

United States Olympic Committee