Maggie Haney was secretly emotionally abusing her athletes with verbal slurs, with reports being released on April 29th indicating that this behaviour occurred for eight years. It’s prompted Olympic Committee to hold a formal hearing against Maggie Haney, with the panel of three judges determining that the Gymnastics coach engaged in aggressive behaviour with minors, which included ridiculing and teasing. The Committee expressed that their primary goal is to create a healthy and safe environment for athletes of any age.
Hearing regarding the behaviour of Maggie Haney began in February 2020, with the Olympic Committee making quick haste of their decision with the novel coronavirus pandemic looming worldwide. This hearing revealed that the abusive nature of Haney includes digital harassment, fat-shaming, and racial slurs. Multiple Olympic athletes that were once minors have penned letters to the Committee for eight years regarding this behaviour. It wasn’t until the notable Riley McCusker, who stands as a Gymnastics World Champion, wrote a letter on Haney’s demeanour between 2010 to 2016.
The Accusations Continue
Riley McCusker detailed this letter direct to Rhonda Faehn, the former Senior Vice President with the Olympic Women’s Program. McCusker clarified that twelve gymnasts under the control of Maggie Haney were verbally, emotionally, and once physically abused. Detailed accounted revealed that the now champion would be humiliated in front of peers, while also be shamed about her minimal weight. It’s prompt Maggie to force Riley into working out with a multitude of injuries.
The pain would become so severe that she’d wake up crying from her sleep, with the process regularly being repeated. Now that these accusations have been confirmed by the Olympic Committee, the decision to bar Maggie Haney for eight years from professional coaching. Lawyers with Haney tried to claim this barring to be illegal, which prompted the Olympic councillor also to be barred. It’s suspected that Maggie won’t ever be reinstated.
The Olympics Cancelled
Information regarding the illegal actions of Maggie Haney follows two-weeks after the Committee confirmed that the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were postponed by twelve months. Governing organizers were forced to make this decision after the COVID-19 pandemic continues to brutalize the human population, infecting three million and killing hundreds of thousands globally.