Penn State Gymnastics Alumni Call for Jeff Thompson to Resign
Penn State Gymnastics Alumni Call for Jeff Thompson to Resign
**Update 6/30/16A group of Penn State gymnastics alumni are advocating for a clean sweep of the coaching staff, according to an article published on Penn Li
**Update 6/30/16
A group of Penn State gymnastics alumni are advocating for a clean sweep of the coaching staff, according to an article published on Penn Live. These alumni are concerned about the future of the Penn State gymnastics program and are hoping to spur change.
Karen Schuckman, a star gymnast in the 1970s; Penn State's first female All-American, Marcy Lucas; and two other alumni said they met with athletic director Sandy Barbour in early June to express their concerns. Barbour was firm that she would stick behind Jeff Thompson.
Schuckman noted that 31 Penn State alumni signed off on a letter in May sent to the Penn State integrity and ethics office that expressed their concerns. According to Lucas, they are on the same page with that they think is best for the future of the program:
Original Article 5/20/16
Penn State women’s gymnastics associate head coach, Rachelle Thompson, will resign June 30 after six years with the team, according to an email obtained by PennLive and confirmed by a Penn State spokesman.
In Thompson’s email that was sent to family, friends, and the team, she wrote that she is resigning to devote more time to her family and personal goals.
Her husband, Jeff Thompson, will remain head coach of the program as a national search for her replacement begins immediately.
This news comes after several current and former athletes, coaches, and members of the gymnastics community spoke out about the way the Penn State gymnastics program has been run under the direction of the Thompsons, who came to Penn State from Auburn in 2010.
A recent report by Penn State's student-run newspaper, The Collegian, featured many gymnasts and parents openly communicating that the gymnastics program has become a severely unhealthy environment. Particularly, it reported that the Thompsons mocked athletes about their weight and forced them to practice through injuries. The article further explained that the maltreatment caused several of the women to develop depression and eating disorders, and most notably, one athlete's frightfully close suicide attempt that was stopped by a teammate.
The issues were taken to the athletic department, which deemed no further investigation was necessary.
Of the gymnasts in the 2012 recruiting class, all eight departed from the program before their senior season. Additionally, recent assistant coach Samantha Brown, a former member of the U.S. National Team, refused to work under the Thompsons, which caused her to be let go from the program in January.
On the heels of the media reports, there have been outcries from all over the gymnastics community about the serious allegations. Brown and parents of former gymnasts posted an online petition calling for an outside investigation of the program. The petition, which stated a goal of 1,000 signatures, had secured 1,104 as of 1 p.m. on Friday, May 20. There has been no official news on whether or not the petition will lead to an outside investigation.
Thompson wrote in her email, "It has recently become increasingly difficult for me to come to work each day with my normal passion. As a result, I now find myself in a place I never imagined — walking away from a sport and a program that has meant the world to me."
The athletic department released this statement:
”We have accepted Rachelle Thompson's resignation and thank her for her commitment to Penn State, our women's gymnastics program and her many contributions as Associate Head Coach. We wish her all the best as she begins her next chapter. The program has a solid foundation for future success and we look forward to continuing to build upon it with Head Coach Jeff Thompson and his staff. A national search for her replacement will begin immediately."
Right now, the gymnastics community and beyond are seeking justice for former athletes, current athletes, and everyone who comes after them.
A group of Penn State gymnastics alumni are advocating for a clean sweep of the coaching staff, according to an article published on Penn Live. These alumni are concerned about the future of the Penn State gymnastics program and are hoping to spur change.
Karen Schuckman, a star gymnast in the 1970s; Penn State's first female All-American, Marcy Lucas; and two other alumni said they met with athletic director Sandy Barbour in early June to express their concerns. Barbour was firm that she would stick behind Jeff Thompson.
Schuckman noted that 31 Penn State alumni signed off on a letter in May sent to the Penn State integrity and ethics office that expressed their concerns. According to Lucas, they are on the same page with that they think is best for the future of the program:
Pretty much all of us have said we want [Jeff Thompson] out.A spokesman from the athletics department confirmed that Rachelle Thompson's resignation goes into effect at the end of the day today (Thursday, June 30).
Original Article 5/20/16
Penn State women’s gymnastics associate head coach, Rachelle Thompson, will resign June 30 after six years with the team, according to an email obtained by PennLive and confirmed by a Penn State spokesman.
In Thompson’s email that was sent to family, friends, and the team, she wrote that she is resigning to devote more time to her family and personal goals.
Her husband, Jeff Thompson, will remain head coach of the program as a national search for her replacement begins immediately.
This news comes after several current and former athletes, coaches, and members of the gymnastics community spoke out about the way the Penn State gymnastics program has been run under the direction of the Thompsons, who came to Penn State from Auburn in 2010.
A recent report by Penn State's student-run newspaper, The Collegian, featured many gymnasts and parents openly communicating that the gymnastics program has become a severely unhealthy environment. Particularly, it reported that the Thompsons mocked athletes about their weight and forced them to practice through injuries. The article further explained that the maltreatment caused several of the women to develop depression and eating disorders, and most notably, one athlete's frightfully close suicide attempt that was stopped by a teammate.
The issues were taken to the athletic department, which deemed no further investigation was necessary.
Of the gymnasts in the 2012 recruiting class, all eight departed from the program before their senior season. Additionally, recent assistant coach Samantha Brown, a former member of the U.S. National Team, refused to work under the Thompsons, which caused her to be let go from the program in January.
On the heels of the media reports, there have been outcries from all over the gymnastics community about the serious allegations. Brown and parents of former gymnasts posted an online petition calling for an outside investigation of the program. The petition, which stated a goal of 1,000 signatures, had secured 1,104 as of 1 p.m. on Friday, May 20. There has been no official news on whether or not the petition will lead to an outside investigation.
Thompson wrote in her email, "It has recently become increasingly difficult for me to come to work each day with my normal passion. As a result, I now find myself in a place I never imagined — walking away from a sport and a program that has meant the world to me."
The athletic department released this statement:
”We have accepted Rachelle Thompson's resignation and thank her for her commitment to Penn State, our women's gymnastics program and her many contributions as Associate Head Coach. We wish her all the best as she begins her next chapter. The program has a solid foundation for future success and we look forward to continuing to build upon it with Head Coach Jeff Thompson and his staff. A national search for her replacement will begin immediately."
Right now, the gymnastics community and beyond are seeking justice for former athletes, current athletes, and everyone who comes after them.