Kerry Perry, whose nine-month tenure as USA Gymnastics CEO was marked by heavy criticism and little tangible action in helping the organization recover from the Larry Nassar scandal, has resigned under pressure.
Her resignation, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports by two people with knowledge of the decision, will come Tuesday. It was first reported by the Orange County Register. The two people spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Perry’s departure was seen as inevitable after new U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland told USA TODAY Sports on Friday night that it was “time to consider making adjustments in the leadership.” Hirshland’s statement followed a tumultuous week in which USA Gymnastics hired a coach, who had supported Nassar after he’d been indicted, to be the developmental coordinator. USA Gymnastics was ultimately forced to backtrack after the move was strongly denounced by survivors, including Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman.
More: USA Gymnastics asks coach who defended Nassar to resign
More: USOC chief says it's time to consider USA Gymnastics CEO change
But the PR nightmare was just the latest for USA Gymnastics under Perry, whose inconsistency in personnel decisions, inability to articulate a clear vision for the future and low public profile caused chaos for an organization looking for bold leadership. USA Gymnastics has lost all of its key sponsors, and its national championships last month were held without a title sponsor, almost unheard of for one of the marquee Olympic sports in the United States.
“That’s a good question. I’m not so sure yet,” Olympic champion Simone Biles said at last month’s U.S. championships, when she was asked if she thought USA Gymnastics was moving in the right direction.
“Hopefully it’s going in the right direction, but nobody can know until Kerry Perry speaks up. So it’s kind of hard.”
Perry had no experience in gymnastics or the Olympic movement when she took over Dec. 1, tasked with reshaping an organization reeling from revelations that Nassar had sexually abused dozens of young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment. The longtime USA Gymnastics and Michigan State physician is serving an effective life sentence after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges and state charges of sexual abuse.
Among the more than 350 women who said Nassar abused them are Biles, Raisman and fellow Olympic gold medalists McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, Kyla Ross and Madison Kocian.
Previous CEO Steve Penny was forced to resign under pressure from the USOC in March 2017 for the way the organization handled sexual abuse complaints. A review of USA Gymnastics’ practices and policies by former federal prosecutor Deborah Daniels found that the governing body needed a “complete cultural change.”
The federation had not done enough to educate staff, members or athletes about protecting children from sexual abuse, Daniels found in her June 2017 report, and the perception was that USA Gymnastics put winning medals ahead of child protection.
Daniels made 70 recommendations, and USA Gymnastics’ then-board of directors adopted all of them unanimously. But almost 15 months later, only 47 percent have been fully implemented, with another 39 percent in progress and 8 percent ongoing.
Of the changes Perry touted that the organization had made, the most notable came at the direction of the USOC after searing testimony by survivors at Nassar’s sentencing hearings highlighted the failures of the organization. The entire board was ordered to resign by the USOC under threat of decertification, and the USOC also dictated what the new board should look like.
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