The Chairman of the US Olympic Committee is stepping down due to sex trafficking within the organization.
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Sept 8, 2018
From: https://apnews.com/2bd078c6c97d4a8cb3a5425c379fc2a8
DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Center for SafeSport has permanently banned two-time Olympic taekwondo champion Steven Lopez for sexual misconduct involving a minor.
The center has been investigating Lopez for about four months and made his ban permanent Thursday night. He can appeal.
He was suspended in May, a few days after four women filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing USA Taekwondo and the U.S. Olympic Committee of sex trafficking.
The lawsuit alleges the organizations were long aware that Lopez and his brother, Jean, were sexual predators, but kept sending young women with them to competitions and practices. The plaintiffs have since added the U.S. Center for SafeSport as a defendant.
Jean Lopez has also been banned on an interim basis.
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Sept 10, 2018
From: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-olympics/u-s-olympic-committee-board-chair-probst-to-step-down-idUSKCN1LQ2G6
U.S. Olympic Committee board chair Probst to step down
(Reuters) - U.S. Olympic Committee Board Chair Larry Probst will step down at the end of the year and be replaced by board member Susanne Lyons, who until recently was the acting CEO, USOC said on Monday.
Probst, 68, was first elected chair in October 2008 and recently oversaw the opening of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an independent entity that aims to help the sports community to respond to incidents of abuse.
SafeSport was launched in the wake of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s serial sexual abuse of gymnasts. Nassar is serving an effective life sentence for his crimes.