Former U.S. national team members Anna Li resigned from USA Gymnastics high profile Athletes’ Council on Wednesday amid allegations that she and her mother, Jiani Wu, have been verbally, emotionally and physically abusive to young gymnasts.

Li’s resignation on the eve of the USA Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, Mo., comes less than a week after an SCNG report in which gymnasts coached by Li and Wu at Legacy Elite Gymnastics in Aurora, Illinois, and their parents allege in interviews and confidential formal complaints filed with USA Gymnastics that Li disparaged gymnasts in front of their peers on a “daily basis,” bullied athletes, regularly called girls fat, pressured injured athletes to train or compete, and threatened to make negative comments to college coaches recruiting them.

The resignation, the fifth by a top USA Gymnastics official in less than a year, also came just hours after four-time Olympic champion Simone Biles, blasted the sport’s national governing body during a press conference at the national championships.

“How can we trust them?” Biles told reporters. “They bring in new people all the time and I automatically put my foot up because the people that I had known for years had failed us.”

Li’s selection to the Athletes’ Council, critics said, was USA Gymnastics latest misstep in the wake of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal and further fueled criticism of Li Li Leung who has been plagued by controversy since taking over as the organization’s chief executive officer last February. Li, an alternate on the gold medal winning 2012 U.S. Olympic team and former UCLA All-American, is the second Athletes’ Council member to resign in less than three months.

Leung, a former sports marketing executive and NBA vice president, was hired to restore credibility to USA Gymnastics. Instead the organization has stumbled through a series of scandals on her watch that have further called into question the national governing body’s commitment and/or ability to change the culture of abuse within the sport that enabled Nassar, the former U.S. Olympic and women’s national team physician, to sexually abuse at least 250 young gymnasts and athletes.

“I don’t mean to cry,” said Biles, who has alleged she was among those sexually abused by Nassar. “But it’s hard coming here for an organization, having had them fail us so many times. And we had one goal and we’ve done everything that they’ve asked us for, even when we didn’t want to and they couldn’t do one damn job. You had one job. You literally had one job and you couldn’t protect us.”

The U.S. Center for SafeSport launched an investigation into Li and Wu on Monday and at least 11 complaints have been filed against Li and Wu with USA Gymnastics and/or SafeSport, according to interviews and USA Gymnastics and SafeSport correspondence obtained by SCNG. Eighteen people have confirmed abuse allegations against Li and Wu with SCNG.

“Earlier today, Anna Li stepped down as an athletes’ representative on the Athletes’ Council, which the Council accepted,” Paul Ruggeri, chairman of the Athletes’ Council, said in a statement to SCNG. “The Athletes’ Council will decide next steps regarding the vacancy.”

USA Gymnastics said in a statement “The U.S. Center for SafeSport has accepted discretionary jurisdiction for the Anna Li matter. The Center has not imposed a restriction, and Ms. Li is a member and eligible to participate as a judge and/or a coach.”

In addition to coaching two Legacy gymnasts in the senior women’s competition this week, Li is also scheduled to work as a judge in the junior girls division.

Wu on multiple occasions pulled young gymnasts by their hair when she was dissatisfied with their training, including at least one occasion when Wu allegedly pulled a girl by her ponytail all the way to the ground, according to interviews and complaints submitted to USA Gymnastics.

Li and Wu regularly humiliated gymnasts they were angry at by making them sit by themselves in a circle formed by piles of mats, in a child’s pool floaty or in the gym’s lobby, or by placing tape over their mouths, gymnasts and parents allege.

Gymnasts and their parents also allege Li and Wu steered gymnasts to be treated by Nassar at Michigan State’s sports medicine clinic where he was employed. Nassar is currently serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for possession of child pornography. He was sentenced in 2018 to between 40 and 175 years and 40 and 125 years after pleading guilty to a total 10 charges of sexual assault in two Michigan state cases.

Li and Wu, through their attorney, have denied any wrongdoing.

“In light of the upcoming Championships, Anna Li has expressed her desire for the focus to remain on the girls that have worked their whole lives for this moment leading up to the Tokyo Olympics,” Sam L. Amirante, an attorney for Li and Wu, said in a statement Wednesday night. “Although we believe the facts of the investigation will ultimately exonerate her from any wrongdoing, in consideration of the USA Gymnastics Bylaws, Ms. Li has decided to voluntarily step aside temporarily from her position as an Athlete Representative while the investigation is pending.

“…She is disappointed in the false accusations that have been claimed against her, but continues to work tirelessly and selflessly with the girls, treating them with respect and nurturing their aspirations.

“We are hopeful that the Center for SafeSport will conduct their investigation expeditiously so that Anna Li may return to the role of Athlete Representative where she can continue to serve USA Gymnastics for the benefit of the athletes.”

Li quoted John Wooden on social media Wednesday.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are,” read a Wooden quote Li posted on her Instagram page with a photo of her and the late UCLA basketball coach.

While welcoming Li’s resignation, Legacy parents and gymnasts they still want to see Li and Wu permanently banned by USA Gymnastics.

“I am very pleased to see that Anna is finally taking accountability for her past actions,” said Ed Fitzgerald, one of the parents who filed a complaint against Li and Wu with USA Gymnastics. “Ultimately, I would like to see the governing body pull her USAG card so that she is no longer able to abuse young gymnasts. Simone Biles made it very clear that USAG has one job and that one job is to keep kids safe. This would be a very strong message to send to the membership that abuse will no longer be tolerated in the sport.”

Samantha Medel said she was routinely screamed at, called fat and body shamed by Li.

“I’m relieved to see that Anna is no longer the Athletes Rep,” Medel said. “I just hope this helps the investigation being done and USAG continues to believe in the athletes and the abuse that we have endured.”

Li was selected by the USA Gymnastics Athletes’ Council in June to join the 10-member group that represents athletes with the governing body’s board of directors.

Athletes’ Council members are essentially the voice of athletes with USA Gymnastics. Members of the council share concerns of athletes with the national governing body. Council members are expected to be accessible to athletes and provide a sounding board for concerns and issues. Members also communicate information from USA Gymnastics directly to elite athletes, USA Gymnastics said. Council members also serve U.S. Olympic and national team selection committees and other committees with the organization.

The Athletes’ Council has taken on greater importance in the wake of the Nassar sexual abuse scandal. Survivors said Nassar’s sexual abuse of them was enabled in part by their isolation and a lack of allies and a voice at the top levels of USA Gymnastics.

“Athletes deserve someone in that role that is truly capable of protecting them and not someone who is a consistent offender of the very acts that they seek refuge from,” a Legacy parent wrote in a complaint to USA Gymnastics.

Li replaced Terin Humphrey, an Olympic medalist, who was voted off council by its members in May after controversies including drawing widespread criticism for a meme she posted on her Facebook page.

“What Champions consider coaching is what the entitled consider abuse. Parents if your son is gonna be great he will take some (expletive) chewing along the way. Get ready!” the meme said.

Li was to have completed Humphrey’s term, which expires this year.

USA Gymnastics has been plagued by a series of missteps in hiring decisions in the wake of the Nassar scandal.

Steve Penny, the organization’s CEO since 2005 was forced to resign in March 2017 amid allegations that he covered up Nassar’s abuse. Penny was later arrested after being indicted in Walker County, Texas on evidence of tampering charges related to the Nassar case. Penny has denied any wrongdoing.

Kerry Perry, a marketing executive, replaced Penny in December 2017. She was forced out in September 2018, just four days after USA Gymnastics asked veteran coach Mary Lee Tracy to resign as the organization’s elite development coordinator after just three days on the job.

Tracy’s forced resignation came after USA Gymnastics officials said she improperly contacted Olympic champion Aly Raisman, who is suing the organization.

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Special Report: Maggie Haney still working with gymnasts despite suspension Former congresswoman Mary Bono resigned as CEO in October after just four days on the job. Bono generated more than $1.5 million in lobbying fees over a three-year period for a firm that, according to emails and court filings consulted with Penny while he and USA Gymnastics allegedly covered up Nassar’s sexual abuse.

Leung in February became USA Gymnastics’ fourth CEO and president in 23 months.

Leung’s first major hire was Edward Nyman Jr. as USA Gymnastics’ first full-time sports medicine and science director. But Nyman was fired in April after just one day on the job for failing to disclose athlete safety complaints against his wife and others at the Ohio gymnastics club she owns. USA Gymnastics officials have been aware of allegations of verbal and emotional abuse by coaches at the club since at least the summer of 2017, an SCNG investigation found.

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