CrossFit CEO steps down after furor over George Floyd remarks

CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman announced his resignation Tuesday following uproar over comments he made about George Floyd, the unarmed black Minneapolis man whose death has sparked a wave of protests throughout the country.

“On Saturday, I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the world’s largest network of gyms. All are aligned in offering an elegant solution to the vexing problem of chronic disease,” Glassman said in a statement.

“I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ’s or affiliates’ missions. They are too important to jeopardize,” he added.

UPDATE: Greg Glassman is stepping down as CEO of CrossFit https://t.co/cgfb3Ur6HT pic.twitter.com/cq3VmzOUfD

— Ryan Brooks (@ryanbrooks) June 9, 2020

Glassman has been under fire publicly since Saturday night when he responded to a tweet declaring racism a public health crisis by tweeting, “It’s FLOYD-19.” Glassman later said the tweet was “a mistake, not racist, but a mistake.”

News of his resignation came after BuzzFeed reported Tuesday that the CEO had made additional comments in a Zoom call with staffers and gym owners earlier Saturday, saying that “we’re not mourning for George Floyd — I don’t think me or any of my staff are.”

Glassman also remarked of protesters demonstrating against Floyd’s death, “I doubt very much that they’re mourning for Floyd. … I don’t think that there’s a general mourning for Floyd in any community.”

On the call, a recording of which was obtained by BuzzFeed, Glassman also promoted conspiracy theories about Floyd and Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murder in his death.

The CEO noted that the men had worked security at the same club, saying, “We have friends in the FBI in your neighborhood, and they’re of the view that this was first-degree murder and it was to silence him over the counterfeit money. That’s the belief. That’s what the cops think.”