Ian Moss out as Gymnastics Canada CEO after athletes call for his resignation
OTTAWA — Ian Moss is stepping down as Gymnastics Canada’s chief executive officer, a move that comes amid calls for a change in leadership at the embattled sports organization.
The governing body said in a press release that it is moving forward with “significant leadership changes” after months of calls for Moss to step down from Gymnasts for Change Canada, an advocacy group made up of hundreds of former and current gymnasts.
The gymnasts wrote an open letter to Sport Canada last March calling for a nationwide investigation into the culture of abuse in their sport.
“We heard loud and clear the cultural and behavioral wrongdoings that have harmed individuals and our sport. We recognize and respect the implications of this wrongdoing and are moving forward — today,” interim CEO Bernard Petiot said in the press release.
Gymnastics Canada’s move comes after McLaren Global Sport Solutions released a 277-page report on January 27 following an independent review of “the tsunami of negative criticism and egregious allegations of abuse that have been leveled at the governance of gymnastics in Canada.”
The report found that “the lack of integrated national standards and leadership is the Achilles’ heel of Canada’s gymnastics ecosystem” and recommended steps toward accountability and promoting athlete well-being.
Three days after the report’s release, Moss appeared at a hearing of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women on women’s safety in sport and was questioned by MPs about claims he was aware of complaints of athlete misconduct against coaches Alex Bard and Scott McFarlane . let her continue working.
Moss said McFarlane was a criminal case in which GymCan was not involved. He argued that Bard’s hands were tied.
“There were several allegations[against Bard],” Moss said at the hearing. “That is the point. We have to do due diligence on facts to be that easy.”
Bard was appointed to Canada’s coaching staff for the 2020 Olympics in 2018 despite allegations of abuse. Moss said the formal complaint about the code of conduct ended with his resignation in 2019, although GymCan’s press release said Bard was stepping down for “personal reasons.”
McFarlane, meanwhile, was acquitted of all sexual assault charges in November 2022 related to his time as a trainer at a Mississauga, Ontario gym. He was charged in 2018 for alleged involvement with a 15-year-old gymnast.
He was originally charged with sexual assault, child baiting of a person under 16, sexual disturbance of a person under 16, providing sexually explicit material to a person under 16 and indecent exposure to a person under 16.
“We have a lot to do,” said Petiot. “New leadership positions and renewed governance are important steps to move forward. The McLaren report has given us a framework for change and an increased commitment to accountability, transparency and excellence in safe sport.”
Gymnastics Canada said it will work with Moss to ensure a “smooth transition” to hiring a new CEO.
The organization is also looking for a new chair to join its board after Jeff Thomson resigned earlier this month and was temporarily replaced by vice-chair Petoit.
The leadership changes follow previous steps by Gymnastics Canada to address its culture, including signing an agreement to join Abuse Free Sport, the new federal program to prevent and combat abuse in sport.
Gymnastics Canada also announced the addition of Kacey Neely as safe athletic director on Thursday. The organization says it will be responsible for developing its safe sport framework and will work with clubs and external partners on a national safety strategy.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on February 23, 2023.