Entire USA Gymnastics board to resign over sexual assault scandal

The entire board of USA Gymnastics has agreed to resign following the sexual assault scandal involving former team doctor Larry Nassar. 

The U.S. Olympic Committee demanded late Thursday that all board members resign by Jan. 31, saying USA Gymnastics would lose its status as the nation’s governing organization for gymnastics if they did not.

USA Gymnastics, on Friday, agreed to the demand. “USA Gymnastics will comply with the USOC requirements,” the group said in a statement, according to NBC News.

{mosads}Chairman Paul Parilla, Vice Chairman Jay Binder and treasurer Bitsy Kelly all resigned on Sunday. 

USA Gymnastics has been under fire from lawmakers and former athletes after Nassar was sentenced on Wednesday to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing dozens of women.

More than 150 women came forward during a widely publicized seven-day hearing and detailed how Nassar molested them while claiming to treat them for sports injuries. His accusers include Olympic medalists Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Jordyn Wieber.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) called for a congressional investigation Wednesday into the scandal since USA Gymnastics is a national organization approved by Congress.

The House will vote on a bill next week that would force athletic organizations to report sexual abuse allegations more quickly.

The legislation was drafted in response to accusations that USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Michigan State University did nothing to stop Nassar from abusing the female athletes he was treating, even after reports of his abuse were filed.

Nassar was on the faculty at MSU, and school administrators allegedly failed to notify federal investigators about pending police and Title IX investigations open against the doctor. On Wednesday, MSU President Lou Anna Simon resigned amid the criticism.

Earlier Friday, bipartisan House committee leaders called for investigations into sexual abuse allegations at additional sports teams including USA Swimming, USA Taekwondo, the U.S. Olympic Committee and MSU.