The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, chaired by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), convened a hearing on Wednesday entitled, “Examining the Olympic Community’s Ability to Protect Athletes from Sexual Abuse.”
This hearing follows a months-long bipartisan investigation into the United States Olympic Committee and all 48 National Governing Bodies related to the management, handling, and prevention of sexual abuse across the U.S. Olympic community.
#SubOversight hosted the following witnesses:
- Susanne Lyons, Acting Chief Executive Officer, United States Olympic Committee (USOC);
- Kerry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, USA Gymnastics (USAG);
- Tim Hinchey, President and Chief Executive Officer, USA Swimming (USA-S);
- Steve McNally, Executive Director, USA Taekwondo (USAT);
- Jamie Davis, Chief Executive Officer, USA Volleyball (USAV);
- Shellie Pfohl, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Center for SafeSport (USCSS).
Opening Statement of Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper
Click here to watch #SubOversight Chairman Harper’s opening statemen
The text of the opening statement is below:
Opening Statement of Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper
Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing entitled, “Examining the Olympic Community’s Ability to Protect Athletes from Sexual Abuse.” We are here because recent events have highlighted a very troubling and concerning pattern of sexual misconduct within the U.S. Olympic Community. There have been breakdowns and failures in the system to protect athletes, including how allegations of sexual misconduct have been handled by the National Governing Bodies—the groups that run individual sports—and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The USOC and NGBs play a role in keeping millions of American athletes safe from harm. The vast majority of the athletes involved in NGBs will never compete in the Olympics. They’re on teams affiliated with an NGB, or play in NGB- sponsored events. This can include little league teams, local tennis tournaments, or gymnastics competitions. They are, in many instances, children. But they still fall within the parameters of “organized sport.” So when we talk about athlete safety, we aren’t just talking about elite athletes representing their country at the highest levels of their competition. We are also talking about our friends, our neighbors, our kids.
Read the entire opening statement here.
Line of Questioning by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper
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Follow-up Line of Questioning by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper
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Athlete safety is our top priority. I know that work to improve and reform these organizations won’t happen overnight, but this hearing is a critical step in making sure that sexual abuse has no place in the Olympic community.
Congressman Gregg Harper Press Release
5/23/2018
Sarah Ulmer
