Did Women’s Sports Foundation try to silence leading advocate for athlete protections against sexual abuse?

Decades earlier the Larry Nassar lawsuit rocked the Olympic movement, earlier USA Swimming, USA Water Polo and USA Volleyball became mired successful a bid of systemic enactment maltreatment scandals, erstwhile Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead-Makar pushed the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the astir 50 nationalist governing bodies nether its umbrella to follow and instrumentality safeguards to support athletes from intersexual and carnal abuse.

Hogshead-Makar’s persistent advocacy for jock information arsenic good arsenic sex equity issues successful sports caught the attraction of Capitol Hill, the media and academia.

It besides made her unpopular with apical executives and committee members astatine the USOPC and Olympic athletics NGBs and created discomfort with officials with the Women’s Sports Foundation, a non-profit founded by Billie Jean King that for 5 decades has been the self-proclaimed starring enactment successful advocating for girls and women successful sports.

The Women’s Sports Foundation successful August 2014 offered Hogshead-Makar a two-year declaration hold that would wage her $10,000 a period to service arsenic the organization’s elder manager of advocacy, a consulting position.

The offer, however, came with a stipulation: Hogshead-Makar could not publically sermon oregon constitute astir intersexual maltreatment oregon harassment, according to a missive of statement and different WSF documents obtained by the Southern California News Group.

The WSF was trying to bargain Hogshead-Makar’s soundlessness connected intersexual abuse, Hogshead-Makar said.

“The Women’s Sports Foundation positions themselves arsenic THE dependable for women successful sports,” Hogshead-Makar said successful an email to SCNG. “Yet they decided, ‘No, the WSF doesn’t privation to support girls and women from intersexual abuse.’”

Instead, Hogshead-Makar said, the WSF gave successful to unit from the USOPC, formerly known arsenic the USOC, according to Hogshead-Makar and Donna de Varona, WSF co-founder and existent USOPC committee member. Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, past a apical USOPC enforcement and WSF committee member, said she could not enactment Hogshead-Makar’s advocacy connected intersexual maltreatment and harassment due to the fact that of her duties with the USOPC, Hogshead-Makar said.

“Nancy Hogshead’s departure from her roles arsenic a ineligible advisor and elder manager with the Women’s Sports Foundation signaled a cardinal displacement successful the absorption of the organization,” said de Varona, a erstwhile WSF president and longtime committee member. “Nancy’s lack from the WSF represents a drastic departure from the archetypal intent of the foundation’s bequest to beforehand and support girls and women successful sport.”

The antecedently undisclosed, 11-point Aug. 27, 2014 missive of statement was presented to Hogshead-Makar by then-WSF main enforcement Deborah Larkin astatine a clip erstwhile the narration betwixt the WSF and the USOPC was strained implicit Hogshead-Makar’s disapproval of the USOPC, USA Gymnastics and USA Swimming’s handling of intersexual maltreatment cases.

“As a information of this Letter of Agreement extending the relation of the AD connected a period to period ground connected presumption akin to that of the Consultancy Agreement, AD shall not discuss, opine, oregon participate, either verbally oregon successful writing, arsenic an advocate, expert, oregon spokesperson regarding intersexual abuse, intersexual harassment, intersexual allegations, oregon immoderate different contented related to intersexual behaviour successful immoderate manner, signifier oregon form, whether said information is done arsenic an individual, arsenic a backstage citizen, arsenic a spokesperson for immoderate party, connected behalf of WSF, oregon connected behalf of immoderate different enactment oregon organization,” the declaration connection stipulated.

“If you don’t privation maine talking astir intersexual maltreatment conscionable occurrence me,” said Hogshead-Makar, speaking publically connected the declaration quality for the archetypal time. “Or (just say) your services are nary longer needed. Why springiness maine a declaration that would wage 10 expansive a period not to speech astir intersexual abuse?

“The information was the WSF committee had a struggle of involvement connected the contented of intersexual maltreatment with 1 of its members – Benita Fitzgerald Mosley. Benita said successful December 2013, that she can’t beryllium supportive of WSF enactment connected intersexual maltreatment due to the fact that she ‘owes a fiduciary work to the USOC.’ But alternatively of recognizing the conflict, the committee strategized to 1) muzzle maine and past 2) discredit me, their advocate.”

In an email effect to an SCNG petition for an interrogation connected WSF’s “reluctance to advocator connected issues related to intersexual maltreatment and Nancy Hogshead-Makar’s departure from the WSF,” Fitzgerald Mosley said, “I americium truthful acold removed from thing going connected with WSF that I don’t deliberation I’d beryllium astatine each helpful.”

The missive of statement besides stipulated different restrictions connected Hogshead-Makar, a Georgetown instrumentality schoolhouse postgraduate who has written extensively astir intersexual maltreatment successful sports:

“The parties admit that anterior to this Letter of Agreement, AD contributed to 2 mag articles regarding the contented of intersexual behaviour including Ms. Magazine and Outdoor Sport. AD volition usage champion efforts to get copies of those articles anterior to work for reappraisal and support by the WSF CEO and the WSF PR firm,” the papers said.

“In summation to the foregoing, the parties admit that AD whitethorn beryllium called arsenic an adept witnesser successful the Jameis Winston intersexual battle case. AD agrees to usage champion efforts to not voluntarily look successful this matter, oregon immoderate different ineligible proceeding regarding allegations of intersexual conduct.

“All statements made publically (i.e. speeches, interviews, articles, etc.) oregon to the media oregon done societal media (including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) volition beryllium reviewed by some the WSF CEO and the WSF PR steadfast for synchronization with different WSF programs.”

Hogshead-Makar, a instrumentality schoolhouse professor, was a imaginable adept witnesser successful a civilian suit connected behalf of a pistillate who alleged she had been raped by Heisman Trophy-winning backmost Jameis Winston successful 2012 erstwhile they were students astatine Florida State. Winston and the pistillate settled the suit successful 2016.

Hogshead-Makar refused to motion the statement and resigned from an enactment she had been a portion of since interning with the WSF successful 1985.

But, Hogshead-Makar said successful an email, “Their efforts to unopen maine up weren’t over!”

Under the heading of “Return of WSF Property; Use of WSF’s Physical Property,” the WSF successful a separation statement stipulated, “Prior to the Termination Date (or wrong 1 time aft the Release is executed), Hogshead-Makar shall instrumentality (and shall not retain) to WSF each originals and copies of papers, notes and documents (in immoderate medium, including machine disks), whether spot of WSF oregon not, prepared, received oregon obtained by Hogshead-Makar during the people of, and successful transportation with, her services with the WSF, and each instrumentality and spot of the WSF which whitethorn beryllium successful Hogshead-Makar’s possession oregon nether her control, whether astatine the WSF’s offices, Hogshead-Makar’s location oregon elsewhere, including each specified papers, enactment papers, notes, documents and instrumentality successful the possession of Hogshead-Makar, which WSF spot shall see but not beryllium constricted to the items acceptable distant connected Exhibit B (attached hereto). Hogshead-Makar agrees that she and her household shall not clasp copies of immoderate specified papers, enactment papers, notes and documents.”

“The separation statement for my severance would person required maine to crook implicit each the documents I’d ever worked with the WSF – that’s 30 years’ worthy – and hold ne'er to usage them again,” Hogshead-Makar said successful an email.

“It was effort # 2 to unopen maine up.”

Again Hogshead-Makar refused to beryllium silenced.

“I didn’t motion anything,” she said. “I walked distant without a severance.”

Hogshead-Makar wrote to existent WSF CEO Deborah Antoine successful a Feb. 25, 2019 email seeking an apology for the mode the enactment handled her declaration successful 2014. Antoine agreed to talk Hogshead-Makar on with Ilana Kloss, a WSF enforcement committee subordinate and erstwhile committee chairman. Kloss has been King’s spouse for much than 40 years. They were joined successful 2018.

“Hi Nancy,” Antoine wrote successful an email to Hogshead-Makar connected Feb. 26, 2019. “I talked with Ilana and she’s consenting to articulation maine connected a call. Would you person immoderate clip connected Thursday morning?

“Hope to get this each down us…

“Best,

“Deborah”

Antoine and Kloss refused to connection an apology successful a consequent telephone call, Hogshead-Makar said.

“They said it was conscionable similar a divorce, everybody conscionable needs to determination on,” Hogshead-Makar recalled.

Antoine did not respond to aggregate requests for remark neither did Kloss.

King did not respond to aggregate requests for comment.

Larkin did not respond to aggregate emails and telephone messages requesting comment. She stepped down arsenic WSF CEO successful January 2017 to go the organization’s main advocacy officer. She is nary longer affiliated with the WSF, according to the organization’s website. Larkin was besides named to USA Gymnastics interim committee of directors successful February 2018 aft the USOPC forced the erstwhile committee to resign successful the aftermath of the Nassar scandal.

Sandra Vivas, the WSF committee president successful 2014, besides did not respond to aggregate emails and telephone messages requesting comment.

“Nancy’s accomplishments arsenic a three-time golden medalist, Olympian activist,  lawyer,  professor and writer arsenic good arsenic a erstwhile president of the WSF added unthinkable credibility and intelligence acumen to the organization,” said de Varona, victor of 2 Olympic swimming medals astatine the 1964 Olympic Games.

“Unfortunately, erstwhile Nancy began advocating for legislature authorities and oversight regarding the nonaccomplishment of the gymnastics federation arsenic good arsenic the USOPC to enactment quickly, decisively and responsibly (on intersexual maltreatment issues), the WSF enactment bowed to extracurricular pressure. Nancy near a 30-year relation with the instauration deciding to forgo severance truthful she could proceed connected her ngo to support each athletes particularly girls and women from maltreatment and harassment.”

Hogshead-Makar yet founded Champion Women, an advocacy radical for girls and women successful sports, and continued to talk retired connected the contented of intersexual and carnal maltreatment successful sports.

She besides helped trade the Safe Sport Act, passed by Congress successful 2018, which makes members of Olympic and different amateur sports organizations legally liable to study intersexual maltreatment and requires each organizations to instrumentality protections for each athletes. She was besides progressive successful shaping a landmark betterment bundle passed with bipartisan enactment successful some the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and signed into instrumentality by President Donald Trump successful 2020 that places the U.S. Olympic Committee nether legislature scrutiny and is designed to eradicate a civilization wrong American Olympic sports that enabled and ignored decades of intersexual maltreatment of young athletes. The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act places greater ineligible liability connected the USOPC and the nationalist governing bodies nether its umbrella for intersexual abuses by coaches, officials and employees and provides Congress with mechanisms to dissolve the USOPC’s committee of directors and decertify NGBs.

Hogshead-Makar said she decided to spell nationalist with the Women’s Sports Foundation’s attempts to soundlessness her connected the taxable of intersexual maltreatment and harassment aft watching 4 gymnasts testifying earlier the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month.

The women elaborate however erstwhile U.S. Olympic and women’s nationalist squad doc Larry Nassar had repeatedly sexually abused them connected their mode to winning golden for Team USA astatine the Olympic Games and World Championships, and 3 organizations entrusted with their safety, the USOPC, USA Gymnastics and the FBI, had failed to support them.

Top USA Gymnastics and USOPC executives and coaches, arsenic good arsenic the FBI, concealed Nassar’s transgression behaviour from them, the nationalist and different athletes for a year, the women told the committee, making it imaginable for him to sexually maltreatment dozens of caller victims.

Simone Biles, the four-time Olympic and 19-time World champion, recounted however USA Gymnastics and USOPC officials and coaches did not pass her of Nassar’s misconduct successful the weeks starring up to the 2016 Olympic Games successful Rio de Janeiro. Aly Raisman, a three-time Olympic golden medalist, reminded the senators that the archetypal efforts by USA Gymnastics and USOPC officials to conceal Nassar’s predatory behaviour from the nationalist and imaginable victims coincided with the launching of Los Angeles’ bid to big the 2028 Olympic Games.

Sitting successful the room of her Jacksonville, Florida home, erstwhile Hogshead-Makar watched intently.

She was already acquainted with overmuch of the gymnasts’ stories. Nevertheless, it touched her, particularly the grounds of World champion Maggie Nichols, who successful June 2015 became the archetypal U.S. nationalist squad subordinate to study Nassar to USA Gymnastics. A twelvemonth aboriginal she was near disconnected the 2016 Olympic team.

“From the time I reported my molestation by Nassar,” Nichols said, “I was treated otherwise by USAG.”

“Suddenly arsenic soon arsenic she makes a study she’s abruptly the atrocious guy, right?” Hogshead-Makar recalled reasoning arsenic she watched the hearing. “The Maggie happening however she was the atrocious idiosyncratic and however they didn’t archer Simone Biles, not due to the fact that they were acrophobic astir her performance, but due to the fact that they wanted her connected the wrong of the circle. If they don’t archer her astir what’s going connected with Nassar and past they tin marque much wealth disconnected her, past she’s their friend, she’s going to bash what they privation her to do.

“I heard precise small caller information. But still, it continued to stone maine to the halfway due to the fact that I knew however it felt, each the vigor was coming retired of my feet, similar it was draining me, each pouring retired of maine due to the fact that it did not person to beryllium that mode astatine all. It didn’t person to beryllium that way. It wasn’t inevitable.”

The Women’s Sports Foundation, which describes itself arsenic “champions of enactment and change,” was founded successful 1974 by tennis icon King, and Olympic champions de Varona, Micki King (diving), and Wyomia Tyus (track and field). Billie Jean King donated $5,000 to the organization, her winnings for being named the Bob Hope Cavalcade of Champions outstanding pistillate jock of the twelvemonth successful 1972 and 1973.

Today the WSF, a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) non-profit, has a midtown Manhattan bureau adjacent Penn Station and $7.3 cardinal successful assets with $5.57 cardinal successful yearly revenues, according to audits and Internal Revenue Service filings.

“We are the corporate dependable for each issues related to girls and women successful sports,” WSF wrote successful its astir caller interaction report. “We are the go-to root for activism. We usage our level to elevate the voices of elite athletes, assemblage partners, and each girls and women successful bid to enactment arsenic a catalyst for change. We amended the public, pass nationalist argumentation and power determination makers to guarantee that we proceed to marque strides and execute results.”

The WSF has funded successful immoderate years $1.6 cardinal successful yearly grants impacting arsenic galore arsenic 60,000 athletes successful 50 sports, according to the interaction report. Previous WSF assistance recipients see five-time World champion fig skater Michelle Kwan and the U.S. nationalist h2o polo team.

WSF funded $624,292 successful grants to 49 teams successful 2020, according to an IRS filing. That aforesaid twelvemonth WSF spent $869,071 connected compensation of executives and officers and different $1.25 cardinal connected different worker compensation and $164, 976 connected different worker benefits and pensions.

Much of WSF’s gross is generated by peculiar events, successful peculiar the organization’s yearly awards dinner. Special events accounted for $1.52 cardinal successful gross successful 2010, $773,350 successful 2016, according to WSF documents. The enactment reported $1 cardinal successful peculiar events gross successful 2020, according to IRS filings.

The USOPC contributes betwixt $10,000 and $24,999 annually to the WSF, according to the organization’s documents, and is besides instrumental successful lining up Olympians to be the awards dinner.

A fig of different starring WSF firm sponsors besides person ties to the USOPC. Nike, Visa and Coca-Cola are each some firm partners with the USOPC and salient fiscal backers of the WSF. NBC Sports, the Olympic broadcast partner, is 1 of the WSF’s starring sponsors contributing much than $100,000 annually to the organization, according to WSF documents. The documents bash not database the nonstop magnitude of contributions.

This year’s awards meal is Wednesday successful New York City. Among the invited athletes listed by the WSF are Olympic and Paralympic champions Allyson Felix (track), Sarah Hughes (figure skating), Tatyana McFadden (track) and Maggie Steffens (water polo).

Hogshead won 3 golden medals and a metallic astatine the 1984 Olympic Games. Her Olympic triumphs came 3 years aft she was raped arsenic a Duke undergrad portion jogging adjacent the campus.

She was recruited to the Women’s Sports Foundation by de Varona aft the 1984 Olympic Games. She interned astatine the organization. Hogshead-Makar joined the WSF committee successful 1986 and would spell connected to clasp a fig of positions including vice president and past president, serving arsenic the organization’s ineligible advisor for 7 years and elder manager for advocacy from 2010 to 2014.

“There is hardly a argumentation connected the WSF website that I didn’t person a manus in. A full WSF-contingent celebrated with america astatine our wedding,” Hogshead-Makar wrote successful the Feb. 25, 2019 email to Antoine. “I brought my then-new hubby to the WSF meal arsenic portion of our honeymoon.”

“The Women’s Sports Foundation was my location for 30 years,” she said.

As advocacy director, her lone paid presumption with WSF, Hogshead-Makar registered a bid of victories.

“Her power reaches millions of women and has contributed to the USA’s successes successful planetary competitions by giving girls opportunities that did not antecedently exist,” the International Olympic Committee said successful a connection successful 2014 erstwhile it awarded Hogshead-Makar its Women In Sport award.

The USOPC nominated Hogshead-Makar for the IOC grant successful 2011. In a 2011 voicemail informing her of his organization’s plans, USOPC main enforcement serviceman Scott Blackmun said to Hogshead-Makar with “your interaction connected women’s sport, you’re a fantastic candidate.”

Hogshead-Makar’s enactment was highlighted successful a study trumpeting WSF’s accomplishments starring up to the organization’s 40th day successful 2012.

“Advocacy is astatine the halfway of the WSF’s work,” said the study that went connected to database the organization’s achievements. “Sexual Harassment/Molestation: Changing coaching morals policies to beryllium accordant with different nonrecreational codes of morals that prohibit intersexual relations.”

“Nancy Hogshead-Makar is simply a heroine,” said Micki King, the Olympic diving champion and longtime WSF committee member.

But officials astatine the USOPC didn’t stock King’s view.

The USOPC committee of directors successful 2012 banned romanticist and intersexual relationships betwixt coaches and the athletes they coach, a regularisation agelong pushed by Hogshead-Makar. The USOPC support came aft Hogshead-Makar appealed straight to USOPC committee members aft Blackmun failed to beforehand Hogshead-Makar’s argumentation connection to the afloat board, she said.

“Merry indeed!” WSF CEO Kathryn Olson said successful an email to WSF committee members soon earlier Christmas 2012 regarding the USOPC ban. “Great advancement Nancy and truthful encouraging to spot the explicit prohibition defined for those successful ‘direct supervisory’ oregon ‘positions of powerfulness oregon trust.’ I cognize this task has been a agelong roadworthy but you are tenacious. Well done and a immense convey you connected behalf of each the athletes who volition beryllium protected.”

But the strained narration betwixt Hogshead-Makar and Blackmun and different apical USOPC executives and officials was wide the erstwhile March aft Hogshead-Makar criticized the USOPC successful an Orange County Register article for not taking the pb successful banning romanticist and intersexual relationships betwixt coaches and athletes.

“So alternatively than the USOC saying we power the purse strings and here’s the policy,” Hogshead-Makar told the Register, “they alternatively let the coaching associations (to found policies) and they privation to sphere this enactment for being capable to person romanticist relationships and intersexual relationships with athletes.”

In a March 20, 2012 email to Hogshead-Makar, Blackmun wrote, “I anticipation you don’t consciousness similar you request to pass with maine done the newspaper.”

“I was not trying to pass with you via the media,” Hogshead-Makar responded. “I don’t deliberation you meant to, but I’m feeling a small antiaircraft astir these remarks.”

She past listed a fig of attempts by her and others to propulsion the USOPC and officials astatine nationalist governing bodies to follow the ban.

“Well, I could spell connected present astir cajoling and communicating with the Olympic family, but you get the idea,” Hogshead-Makar wrote successful the email.

“Scott Blackmun hated each attempt,” Hogshead-Makar said.

Hogshead-Makar said Olson told her that Blackmun “would telephone (Olson) and get her to effort to soundlessness maine done a fig of strategies.”

Shortly aft a telephone to Olson from Blackmun, Hogshead-Makar said, “The WSF was poised to person a petition successful enactment of what is present the US Center for SafeSport. (Olson) directed that we halt the effort minutes earlier we deed the ‘send’ fastener due to the fact that Blackmun and Mosley asked her to. Another time, I was connected ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ and helium called her to complain.”

Blackmun received a $2.4 cardinal buyout from the USOPC aft helium was forced to resign successful 2018 amid allegations helium was progressive successful the cover-up of intersexual maltreatment by Nassar, according to fiscal documents. Blackmun was referred to the Department of Justice and FBI successful December 2018 for transgression probe by 2 U.S. senators who accused him of making mendacious statements and misleading Congress.

Olson and Blackmun did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2013, Hogshead-Makar wrote an outline for the model of what would go the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

“Scott Blackmun agreed helium would nonstop it to the USOC Board,” Hogshead-Makar said successful an email to SCNG. “He did not. A Board subordinate called maine successful the gathering saying that Blackmun wasn’t giving it to them; I sent it to them and they forwarded it to the board. A WSF Board subordinate and USOC employee, (Fitzgerald Mosley), who reported straight to Blackmun, started attending our Advocacy calls and meetings arsenic this enactment heated up.

“In January, (Fitzgerald Mosley) pleaded with maine not to code intersexual maltreatment connected a league telephone with Kathryn (Olson),” Hogshead-Makar continued.

Fitzgerald Mosley said to Hogshead-Makar, “It’s my JOB,” Hogshead-Makar recalled.

“I told her she had a classical struggle of interest, and that she should recuse herself from the issue,” Hogshead-Makar. “She declined.”

At the time, Fitzgerald Mosley was the USOPC president of enactment excellence with a wage of $307,527 and different $20,143 successful further compensation. Fitzgerald Mosely near the USOPC successful January 2016 to go CEO of Laureus USA, a younker and athletics improvement foundation. She is besides a elder advisor to Proteus International, a consulting steadfast whose clients see Microsoft and Sony Entertainment.

Hogshead-Makar successful May 2014 led a determination to forestall USA Swimming enforcement manager Chuck Wielgus’ induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame due to the fact that Wielgus and the NGB had mishandled of dozens of enactment maltreatment cases. Wielgus, who died successful 2017, was a adjacent person of Blackmun’s.

Wielgus withdrew his nomination from the Hall of Fame connected June 2, 2014, 5 days aft Hogshead-Makar and her radical had presented documents to the hall.

Thirteen weeks aboriginal the WSF presented her with the missive of statement containing the stipulations.

Hogshead-Makar’s rejection of the declaration enactment WSF CEO Larkin connected the defensive. Larkin had lone been connected the occupation a fewer weeks.

“Those of you who cognize maine cognize my mediate sanction is advocacy,” Larkin wrote successful an email to respective then-current and erstwhile committee members. “I did not instrumentality this presumption to destruct advocacy nor not enactment successful the intersexual harassment space.

“It is my knowing that the committee had been talking for months astir a strategical program astir advocacy. …

“I person been successful this presumption for a small implicit 30 days. In that clip we are trying to merchantability our meal which funds advocacy, we’ve moved and I’m trying to prosecute radical and enactment with our caller media partners.”

Micki King was not swayed.

“I’m inactive disturbed by the treatment during our past telephone re the enforcement committee’s determination to halt our enactment connected intersexual harassment and abuse,” King wrote successful a Sept. 14, 2014 email to Larkin.  “We’ve accomplished so, truthful overmuch arsenic the dependable for girls and women successful the Olympic movement.  We should/must beryllium arrogant of it, fundraise astir it, and bash much for them.  The USOC is successful the enactment stages of the caller entity that volition oversee maltreatment accusations. It seems that the Advocacy Committee is precise supportive of our work. Have we considered a partition betwixt the Trustees – who whitethorn beryllium much ‘corporate’ oriented alternatively of ‘advocacy’ oriented – and our Advocacy department?”

Hogshead-Makar besides rejected the presumption of a separation statement from WSF dated Oct. 9, 2014.

Three days aboriginal the IOC honored her successful Monaco. It was a nighttime that had been successful the making for 3 years since Blackmun archetypal contacted her astir the award.

Now the rupture successful the narration was clear.

“At the awards meal successful Monaco,” she recalled, “Scott Blackmun would hardly look astatine me.”