Katherine Biek
AT&T Suspends Its USA Gymnastics Sponsorship Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal
AT&T has suspended its sponsorship of USA Gymnastics in the wake of sexual abuse allegations involving former team doctor Larry Nassar.
LEARN MOREJanuary 26, 2018
In the wake of the sexual abuse scandal involving former team doctor Larry Nassar, the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving USA Gymnastics an ultimatum: Its entire board of directors must resign or its status as the sport's national governing body will be terminated.
This was all laid out in a letter committee CEO Scott Blackmun sent to USA Gymnastics on Thursday. It said, "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."
Blackmun says USA Gymnastics' entire board must resign by Jan. 31 and that an interim board must be in place by the end of February.
The USA Gymnastics board has 21 voting members. As Newsy previously reported, three top USAG executives already resigned, and Reuters said a fourth board member submitted his resignation Thursday.
The USOC's demand came just one day after a judge sentenced Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison on multiple criminal sexual abuse charges.
The committee is also requiring USA Gymnastics to create a new permanent board within a year, cooperate with USOC oversight and have all board and staff members undergo SafeSport and ethics training.
In a response to the letter, USA Gymnastics said it "completely embraces the requirements."
The statement continued, "Our commitment is uncompromising, and we hope everything we do makes this very clear."
