ANN ARBOR, MI - Despite outcry leading to the firing of assistant gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn, some University of Michigan gymnastics members support the former USA Gymnastics senior vice president.

Current and former members of the women’s gymnastics team expressed disappointment with the university’s athletic department’s decision to cut ties with Faehn, who was hired in a consulting role on Jan. 10.

She was fired Sunday amid pressure from some members of the UM Board of Regents, who expressed concerns about her response to Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of gymnasts.

“Disappointed that this opportunity has been taken from us,” Olivia Karas, women’s gymnastics team member, tweeted. “No one seems to care that we were so excited to have Rhonda joining us this season. Very very disappointed.”

Student Assistant coach Polina Shchennikova expressed that a few members of the women’s gymnastics team were “affected by Nassar," but were happy to have Faehn on board as an assistant coach.

“It’s a shame social media has such power and nobody is listening to the athletes yet again. Please reconsider,” said Shchennikova, who medically retired from gymnastics in September 2018, joining the coaching staff as a student assistant coach.

UM’s Athletic Department formally announced Faehn’s hire on Jan. 12 after the Michigan Daily confirmed the hire the previous evening. Faehn left her position as the senior vice president for the USA Gymnastics women’s program in May following calls for her resignation from Nassar survivors.

Nassar, 55, the ex-Michigan State University doctor who treated U.S. gymnasts during four Olympic games, is serving more than 140 years in prison based on convictions for possession child pornography and sexual assault.

Disappointed that this opportunity has been taken from us. No one seems to care that we were so excited to have Rhonda joining us this season. Very very disappointed. https://t.co/xcgXBofDvu — liv karas (@lil_livkay) January 14, 2019

UM Athletic Director Warde Manuel said Saturday the hire was made following an exhaustive due diligence period, and he felt comfortable that Faehn reported all of the information available to her regarding Nassar and that she cooperated fully, including voluntarily participating in all investigations and offering testimony before Congress. Manuel also noted he met with captains of the team before the decision to hire Faehn was made.

“Neither an internal investigation by USA Gymnastics or a criminal investigation by the FBI have assigned culpability or resulted in any charges against her,” Manuel said in a news release.

Shortly after Regents Jordan Acker, Mark Bernstein and Denise Ilitch criticized the decision to hire Faehn, though, Manuel acknowledged the hire was a mistake.

“It was the wrong decision, and I apologize," Manuel said in a statement. "Our student-athletes are our highest priority and I want to do everything in my power to support them fully and put the focus back on their athletic performance.”

Former gymnasts, however, including eight-time All-American Nicole Artz, supported the hire and felt team members' support of Faehn should have carried greater weight in the decision.

“It is just too bad that social media and people completely unrelated to the sport or the situation are more concerned about a ‘look’ and attacking people rather than focus on the student athletes that were excited for this opportunity and yet again are not listened to,” Artz tweeted Sunday.