If the Colorado Springs-based U.S. Olympic committee does not understand this by now, it should: Safety must be the top priority of any organization, whether it constructs tall buildings, teaches children or organizes athletic activities.
Given the nightmarish sex abuse scandals involving U.S. Olympic athletes, anyone can conclude the central governing authority — the U.S. Olympic Committee — fell considerably short of ensuring protection for our athletes.
A Sunday Gazette story by senior military editor Tom Roeder detailed findings of a report by the law firm Ropes and Gray, which found sex abuse "was a manifestation of a far broader constellation of factors and conditions in elite gymnastics and Olympic sport that left young athletes vulnerable to abuse and led Olympic organizations astray from the priority of athlete safety."
The story detailed a culture that put "money and medals" ahead of safety.
We can point fingers at the governing boards of teams, at the past CEO, past and present members of the USOC's board of directors or at any number of people in the mix. The fact remains that a broken system failed our athletes, and we must have assurance it won't continue.
The latest in the Olympic scandal involves Thursday's release of a House subcommittee report about the handling of sex-abuse cases involving convicted serial child molester Larry Nassar. He was convicted of multiple felonies after credible accusations arose accusing him of molesting more than 250 athletes while serving as team doctor for USA Gymnastics.
The report describes a lack of conformity among U.S. Olympic national governing boards, in which some did not conduct background checks on key personnel or publish lists of people banned from contact with athletes.
Perhaps the most disturbing theme of the report was the description of an Olympic governing culture that prioritized image over safety — confirming the "money and medals" theme.
The committee investigation found a USOC emphasizing "the effect on the USOC's reputation" as a factor in determining penalties or sanctions for illicit behavior.
"Also in the report," explains the Associated Press, "was a deposition from a USOC attorney that underscores the general state of confusion about the relationship between the USOC, the NGBs (National Governing Boards) and the athletes. On a day-to-day basis, NGBs have more direct contact with athletes than the USOC. Meanwhile, the USOC provides funding to NGBs but doesn't have much say in their operation."
The report describes a 2016 deposition related to sex abuse, in which an attorney asked USOC Attorney Gary Johansen: "You want to protect your athletes from being sexually abused. That's a top priority, right, sir?"
"The USOC does not have athletes," Johansen replied.
That short reply says volumes about the culture. This and other emerging evidence from the scandal portray a USOC that operated more as a public relations firm than the central organization chartered by Congress to oversee U.S. Olympic teams.
The organization that oversees Olympic teams most certainly does "have athletes."
We have confidence in new USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland and incoming board Chair Susanne Lyons to overhaul the culture, but they can't waste a moment. This is no time for business as usual. It is time for sweeping change.
All focus must be on a culture of safety, coordinated by the USOC and running through all national governing board with a consistent set of standards that are enforced, monitored and guaranteed from the top.
The USOC's new and incoming officials must make overhauling the USOC's focus and culture their top priority, and they have no time to waste. Medals and sponsor dollars pale in comparison to resolving this crisis that hurts the whole country.
REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE
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