Independent Report. In December 2018, the USOPC closely reviewed and responded to the Ropes & Gray Report and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Report, and remains committed to working with Congress and the Athlete & NGB Engagement Commission to plan additional actions and reforms. The USOPC swiftly responded to facts provided by the report by terminating the employment of its chief of sport performance.

Borders Commission. The Athlete & NGB Engagement Commission released an exploratory report (PDF) following a nine-month review in July 2019, addressing how the USOPC can more effectively interact with and oversee its 50 diverse member NGBs, and support and engage with the athletes it serves.Chaired by former WNBA President Lisa Borders, the “Borders Commission” was chartered by the USOPC in 2018 to review and deliver a series of recommendations aimed at improving the organization’s governance strategy and athlete protection policies – including examining whether changes are needed to USOPC policies and procedures, its bylaws, and the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. The commission is comprised of nine members – including four athlete representatives, two NGB representatives, two independents and one USOPC board member – and was assisted by independent counsel. Following the release of the report, the USOPC is continuing to take appropriate actions to implement and reinforce meaningful reforms to create a culture and environment where athletes can achieve both personal well-being and competitive success.

Membership Audits and Compliance. To ensure NGBs comply with conditions of USOPC membership, the USOPC has increased the frequency of its audits and expanded the scope of its annual compliance reviews to include safe sport components in addition to traditional elements of governance and financial controls. The USOPC expanded its audit and compliance division in 2018 and began publishing NGB compliance reports to ensure increased transparency. In 2019, compliance reports for all 50 member NGBs will be available publicly at TeamUSA.org. NGBs are also required to review and update their ethics and conflict of interest policies, and conduct ethics training with their board members and staff.

Ethics and Conflicts of Interest. In exercising increased NGB compliance, the USOPC is requiring members to review and update their ethics and conflict of interest policies and conduct ethics training with board members and staff. NGBs are also required to disclose all designated committee members related to funding and team selection, ongoing investigations, unresolved grievances and ethics complaints, permanently banned members and suspended members who are not submitted to the U.S. Center for SafeSport. To further communication between the NGBs and the Center, the USOPC in 2019 established the NGB Council Leadership Liaison Group, which meets quarterly to ensure alignment on key issues.

Board Assessments. The USOPC board issued an independent assessment to inform its role moving forward. Additionally, the USOPC completed board assessments for all 50 NGBs to determine effectiveness and launched an RFP process for identifying a governance expert to train NGB boards on best practices. Following these assessments, the USOPC addressed governance issues within USA Boxing and USA Diving. Those recommendations led to governance changes, including replacement of the board of directors at USA Boxing. The USOPC also issued a letter to USA Badminton demanding specific measures be put in place to address compliance failures found in its comprehensive audit.

Background Checks. The USOPC is implementing a new background check policy that outlines minimum standards for all member NGBs, Paralympic Sport Organizations and High-Performance Management Organizations to adopt as part of their background check requirements. The new policy standardizes background check search components, inclusion of who is required to complete a background check, and offenses that may disqualify an individual from affiliation and/or participation in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements. Under the new policy, athletes ages 18 and over will also be required to complete a background check.

Enhanced Communication. The USOPC supported a joint meeting between the NGB Council and Athletes’ Advisory Council leadership in September 2108 to ensure alignment on key issues. Additionally, the USOPC is working to provide clarity for athletes, NGBs and USOPC staff as to which athletes comprise Team USA and how the USOPC serves them by identifying eligibility criteria and associated USOPC services and benefits – while ensuring transparent communication of this information. To aid in that process, the USOPC consolidated all information related to athlete services into one central section on TeamUSA.org – including ombudsman and athlete safety information – to ensure athletes can easily find resources available to them. Additionally, the USOPC is developing an athlete app that will be used to streamline two-way communication and facilitate feedback.

Athlete Feedback. A total of 939 athletes provided feedback via an athlete-only survey, allowing the USOPC to gather insights into improving policies, programs and services, and to better understand athletes’ priorities and concerns. The survey results were shared with the Athletes’ Advisory Council, NGBs, the U.S. Center for SafeSport and athlete respondents, along with immediate actions that the USOPC is taking to address feedback.

Athlete Safety - Key Actions

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I. Improve USOPC Athlete Safety Programs and Effectiveness of U.S. Center for SafeSport

II. Athlete Advocacy

III. Evaluate and Reform USOPC Engagement with Athletes and NGBs

IV. Strengthen USOPC Organization and Effectiveness

V. Support Elite U.S. Gymnasts and Continued Evaluation of USA Gymnastics