Update: USA Gymnastics has asked Mary Lee Tracy to step aside. After hiring Tracy on Tuesday, August 28, news came to light that Tracy had contacted a survivor of Larry Nassar's abuse to discuss their criticism of her hiring. ESPN reports that Tracy revealed on social media, after her firing, that she had reached out to Aly Raisman after the gymnast publicly denounced her hiring. In a statement, USA Gymnastics said: "USA Gymnastics has asked Mary Lee Tracy to resign from the elite development coordinator role. We strongly believe in a culture that encourages our athletes and survivors to speak up and make their voices heard. As a representative of the organization, she inappropriately contacted a survivor, who is also a represented plaintiff, in response to that survivor’s public criticism of her. USA Gymnastics decided it would be best to move forward without Ms. Tracy in this role. " Her firing promoted the U.S. Olympic committee's new CEO, Sarah Hirshland, to release her own statement, saying that USA Gymnastics "is struggling to manage its obligations effectively" and calling for new leadership. This story was originally published on August 29, 2018. Yesterday, USA Gymnastics (USAG) announced that Mary Lee Tracy, a well-known gymnastics coach from Cincinnati, will take over as the new elite development coordinator for the women's program. Amidst Larry Nassar's sentencing hearing in January, during which he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing more than 150 young women and girls, several USAG executives stepped down and the organization effectively cleaned house. At the time, USAG president Kerry Perry said she hoped the departures would help "effectively move forward in implementing change within our organization." But this morning, Aly Raisman, three-time gold-medal Olympic gymnast, tweeted that this appointment "is a slap in the face for survivors." Raisman, a survivor of Nassar's abuse, has been an outspoken about the systemic issues within USAG. She also gave a powerful impact statement at Nassar's sentencing hearing. Since then, she's continued to be critical of the way that USAG has handled the fallout, and sued both USAG and the USOC, alleging that they knew about Nassar and failed to take proper action. "USA Gymnastics has appointed someone who, in my view, supported Nassar, victim-shamed survivors, & has shown no willingness to learn from the past," she tweeted. Story continues Nassar worked with gymnasts at Tracy's former gym, Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, alongside Ray Adams, a gymnastics coach who was found guilty of multiple sex crimes against children. In December of 2016, Tracy was interviewed by WCPO Cincinnati about Adams and said that she saw no red flags, and didn't know about his criminal record when he was hired. "I thought he was a little generous," she said about Adams. "But you certainly hate to condemn someone for being generous." Tracy was also asked about Nassar in the same interview, who had been charged with child sex crimes in Michigan at the time, and faced lawsuits from 50 gymnasts and patients. "My Olympians have all worked with Larry," she told WCPO. "We were all defending him, because he has helped so many kids in their careers. He has protected them, taken care of them, worked with me and worked with their parents. He's been amazing." In this new role, Tracy will be responsible for overseeing three training programs (called Hopes, the Developmental Program, and the Talent Opportunity Program) that are referred to as "the developmental pipeline for women's gymnastics." In other words, she will be one of the many gatekeepers of the sport who will be responsible for helping young gymnasts achieve their dreams. Raisman added in her tweet that Tracy's appointment was "further confirmation that nothing at @USAG has changed. What a profound disappointment!" Refinery29 reached out to Tracy and USAG for comment, and will update this story when we hear word. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Your Horoscope This Week Your September Horoscope, Revealed How To Talk To Your Doctor About Sex Injuries (Because Yes, You Should Do That)<doc-sep>USA Gymnastics fired Mary Lee Tracy on Friday, just three days after she was appointed by the sport's governing body to be its new elite development coordinator. The firing came after a whirlwind day in which Tracy admitted to contacting three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, first offered to resign and then recanted that offer. USA Gymnastics tweeted Friday evening it had "decided it would be best to move forward without Ms. Tracy in this role." The dismissal came as a result of Tracy reaching out to Raisman, who is currently suing USA Gymnastics over its handling of the Larry Nassar case. Raisman was critical of Tracy's hiring earlier in the week, calling her hiring a "profound disappointment." The elite development coordinator is responsible for developing talent for the U.S. Olympic team. "USA Gymnastics has appointed someone who, in my view, supported Nassar, victim-shamed survivors, & has shown no willingness to learn from the past," she tweeted. "This is a slap in the face for survivors, & further confirmation that nothing at @USAG has changed. What a profound disappointment!" In December 2016, following his arrest on three counts of criminal sexual conduct, Tracy defended Nassar, but later walked back those comments. Nassar pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison in January on seven counts of criminal sexual misconduct in the first degree. Raisman and scores of other gymnasts addressed Nassar in court during his sentencing hearing. "He had been someone that we all unfortunately had trusted and depended on, so when I was asked about my experience with him, that’s what I said," Tracy told Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO on Thursday. "So I’m not denying that I said that. Would I say that anymore? Absolutely not. ... The man is a monster. But at that moment, I looked at him like I would my dad or my brother." Tracy posted Friday on Facebook that she attempted to contact Raisman and apologize to her, but hours later USA Gymnastics tweeted out that they asked Tracy to resign, because she inappropriately contacted a survivor. "In an attempt to move in our journey to more 'transparency' and openness, I need to explain why I have to resign," Tracy wrote. "[USA Gymnastics President] Kerry P[erry] gave me two options, to resign or be removed because I tried to contact Aly to apologize and hope we could work together to make our sport better and learn from all of the mistakes of the past. I was never informed that I was not permitted to speak to Ali or any of the survivors!" Two hours later, she took back her resignation and said she "was pressured to make a decision" and was now "seeking counsel." Sarah Hirshland, who took over as CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee less than two weeks ago, threatened further shakeups for USA Gymnastics in a statement late Friday. Perry just took over as president earlier this year, but could be at risk of losing her job, The Associated Press reported. "As we close the day, I'm afraid I can offer nothing but disappointment," Hirshland said in the statement. "Under the circumstances, we feel that the organization is struggling to manage its obligations effectively and it is time to consider making adjustments in the leadership." Tracy was head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympics team, which famously won the gold medal in the team competition behind an injured Kerri Strug's vault, and has owned Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy for 25 years. The elite gymnastics school has produced four Olympians, according to USA Gymnastics. Raisman, 24, has not competed at the elite level since the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but she has not officially retired. She was part of the United States' gold medal-winning team in 2012 and 2016 and won gold in the floor exercise in 2012. She also owns two silver medals and a bronze.<doc-sep>USA Gymnastics is bleeding out from another self-inflicted wound. This should be a happy time for the sport. At the U.S. Championships in Boston earlier this month, Simone Biles left not a sliver of doubt that she is back and better than ever, ready to lead the American squad to Tokyo in two years time. Instead, the national governing body is consumed again by turmoil of its own making, prompting renewed calls that it be de-certified and replaced by an entirely new organization. In the space of three days, USAG hired and then asked for the resignation of its new elite development coordinator, who had already threatened to quit and then reneged on that offer. The problem? The new hire, a veteran coach named Mary Lee Tracy, had in the past defended both serial molester Larry Nassar and the Karolyi Ranch, where Nassar preyed on top athletes as team doctor. This boggles the mind. Since the Nassar scandal exploded, survivors have demanded real change in the organization that governs the national sport and chooses the Olympic team. They want the old guard completely replaced by forward-looking executives untainted by allegations that USAG ignored red flags about Nassar and botched the response when he was unmasked as the most prolific sexual predator in sports. A quick Google search would have told USAG President Kerry Perry that Nassar’s victims—who include gold medalists like Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber—would be furious about Tracy’s selection, In December 2016, Tracy told local media that she flat-out didn’t believe the allegations that Nassar had sexually assaulted young athletes under the guise of pelvic procedures. In fact, she called him “amazing.” At the time, 50 former patients had already accused him of abuse. And in March, Tracy had warm things to say about the Karolyi Ranch, the Texas training center owned by coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi, who have been accused of (and who have denied) pushing top athletes beyond their physical and psychological limits. This was months after some survivors had complained about ranch conditions at Nassar’s epic sentencing hearing. In addition, some of Tracy’s former athletes have accused her of creating the kind of punishing training atmosphere that gymnasts across the sport have said made them feel powerless to report wrongdoing. So the reaction to Tracy’s appointment was predictable. Led by Raisman, who has transformed herself into a national advocate, the gymternet went after Tracy and USAG President Kerry Perry, who is barely hanging onto her own job. Tracy could not have handled the criticism worse. In an interview with local television, she backtracked from her earlier comments about “master manipulator” Nassar—“Would I say that any more? Absolutely not”—but then played herself as the victim. She complained about emails sent to her and her staff, including one that suggested she should be in a prison cell next to Nassar. And she threatened to resign the new job. “I will not do it if this public bullying, this cyberbullying of me continues,” she said. Then, in a what-was-she-thinking move, Tracy tried to contact Raisman, apparently without telling her bosses. According to a Facebook post, Perry then gave her two choices: resign or be fired. While insisting she didn’t know that she should not have reached out to a Nassar victim involved in litigation, Tracy said she would step down. That could have been the end of it, but as anyone who has been keeping an eye on the USAG over the last two years knows, nothing is ever simple with that crew. An hour after her post, Tracy followed up with a new one in which she switched gears and said she was hiring a lawyer. A few hours later, USAG put out a statement saying it had asked Tracy to resign for contacting Raisman. It did not offer any apologies for tapping her in the first place. Presumably, it will move to fire Tracy if she doesn’t agree to quit. But at this point, it seems likely hers won’t be the only head to roll. In an email to USA Today, the brand-new head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, which has been engulfed by abuse scandals in other sports as well, issued a vote of no confidence in Perry. “We’ve been following their activity and as we close the day I’m afraid I can offer nothing but disappointment," USOC chief executive Sally Hirshland wrote. “It is time to consider making adjustments in the leadership.” Only time will tell if that will make the bleeding stop.<doc-sep>INDIANAPOLIS -- USA Gymnastics has parted ways with recently hired coach Mary Lee Tracy because Tracy tried to contact Aly Raisman, one of Larry Nassar's most outspoken victims. Only three days after being hired as the program's elite development coordinator, Tracy posted on social media Friday that she was asked to resign after trying to contact Raisman to apologize, and in the hopes "we could work together to make our sport better and learn from all the mistakes of the past." USA Gymnastics said in a statement that Tracy inappropriately contacted Raisman, who is suing the federation, and was critical of Tracy's hiring because the coach had previously defended Nassar. Raisman, a three-time Olympic champion, tweeted after Tracy's hiring, calling it "a slap in the face for survivors, and further confirmation that nothing at USAG has changed." Raisman first told publicly came forward as a victim of Nassar's on "60 Minutes" in November 2017. Raisman told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook that the culture at USA Gymnastics had to change. "Why are we looking at why didn't the girls speak up?" Raisman said. "Why not look at what about the culture? What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?" Nassar pleaded pleaded guilty to assaulting seven people, and more than 150 women and girls testified that he abused them at his sentencing hearing in January. A judge sentenced him to 40 to 175 years in prison, calling it a "death sentence."<doc-sep>
Ex USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar stands to hear his fate as he is sentenced in February 2018 (AFP Photo/SCOTT OLSON) Los Angeles (AFP) - USA Gymnastics said Friday it has requested the resignation of senior coach Mary Lee Tracy just days after her appointment, following an outcry by victims of jailed former team doctor Larry Nassar. A statement from USA Gymnastics sent to AFP confirmed that the organization was seeking Tracy's resignation after a furor erupted in the wake of her appointment as elite development coordinator on Tuesday. Victims of Nassar, who was jailed for life earlier this year for abusing more than 250 athletes -- including several stars of the USA's all-conquering Olympic team -- had lambasted the decision to hire Tracy. Tracy found herself at the heart of a firestorm for comments she made in late 2016 -- when the first allegations of abuse against Nassar had already begun to emerge -- in which she described the doctor as "amazing." "My Olympians have all worked with Larry," Tracy said. "He has protected them, taken care of them, worked with me and worked with their parents. He's been amazing." Aly Raisman, a member of the US 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medal teams who was among Nassar's victims, was among those who condemned Tracy's appointment. "USA Gymnastics has appointed someone who, in my view, supported Nassar, victim-shamed survivors, & has shown no willingness to learn from the past," Raisman tweeted. "This is a slap in the face for survivors, & further confirmation that nothing @USAG has changed. What a profound disappointment!" Tracy had sought to push back against the criticism, insisting she was duped by Nassar and that she had not seen or heard of any hint of his crimes during her dealings with him at various training camps. She had told a local news network on Thursday that she may not be able to take up her position following the outcry. Early Friday, she issued a statement on Facebook saying she would resign after being told to quit by USA Gymnastics for attempting to contact Raisman over her criticism. She later issued a separate post saying she had retracted her resignation as she sought legal advice. Story continues - Shown the door - But in a later statement issued Friday to AFP, USA Gymnastics confirmed that Tracy had been shown the door. "USA Gymnastics has asked Mary Lee Tracy to resign from the elite development coordinator role," the statement said. "We strongly believe in a culture that encourages our athletes and survivors to speak up and make their voices heard. "As a representative of the organization, she inappropriately contacted a survivor, who is also a represented plaintiff, in response to that survivor's public criticism of her. "USA Gymnastics decided it would be best to move forward without Ms. Tracy in this role." In her initial Facebook post on Friday, Tracy said she was unaware that attempting to contact Raisman, who is suing both USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee for their handling of the Nassar case, was off-limits. "I tried to contact Aly to apologize and hope we could work together to make our sport better and learn from all of the mistakes of the past," Tracy wrote. "I was never informed that I was not permitted to speak to Ali (sic) or any of the survivors!" Tracy's departure is just the latest controversy to rock USA Gymnastics. The sport's governing body has presided over an unprecedented period of Olympic dominance in women's gymnastics since 2012 but failed to detect Nassar's crimes in what has become the biggest scandal in US Olympic history. The scandal had already led to the departure of former chief executive Steve Penny in March 2017. The United States Olympic Committee then demanded the entire board of directors be replaced in January while launching an independent investigation into the affair. On Friday, new USOC chief executive Sarah Hirshland signalled that a fresh round of upheaval may be on the cards after voicing dismay at the latest controversy. "I'm afraid I can offer nothing but disappointment," Hirshland said in a statement reported by USA Today. "Under the circumstances we feel that (USA Gymnastics) is struggling to manage its obligations effectively and it is time to consider making adjustments in the leadership. "We are engaging with the USAG board to offer our perspective, and also our assistance, as they manage the situation."