USOPC Moves to Decertify USA Badminton

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent a letter to USA Badminton last week that informed the national governing body that it will pursue its decertification.

Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Holly Shick sent the letter last week. USA Badminton’s former chief executive officer, Linda French, was banned for five years in January by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for discouraging a USA Badminton staff player from reporting an abuse case.

The USOPC filed for decertification against USA Badminton in 2019 before the filing was retracted in 2020 under an agreement for reform. If USA Badminton is de-certified, the USOPC would take charge of its business and begin the process of rebuilding or finding another organization which could be certified as the NGB.

“Given the extensive measures undertaken by the USOPC since 2017, and based on USAB’s inaction, the USOPC does not believe that additional assistance or guidance would resolve the outstanding issues,” Shick’s letter read in part. The USOPC will guide the NGB’s leadership and staff on any required actions to address ongoing compliance concerns and will continue to serve as a resource for the NGB, the letter added.

The USOPC will ask a panel made of a member of the USOPC board of directors, a member of the NGB council and a member of the USOPC athletes advisory council to recommend to the USOPC board of directors to decertify USA Badminton. The NGB will have the opportunity to present evidence to the panel in a formal hearing.

The letter detailed USA Badminton’s issues since 2017 and the proceedings of decertification that date to 2019. It says that the settlement in 2020 was based on USA Badminton addressing the previously stated concerns “as well as additional concerns learned after the 2019 Complaint was filed.”

However, Shick’s letter says, “in late 2021, the USOPC learned of new reports that USAB was again failing to meet its compliance obligations.” It later additionally states “despite repeated assurances that the organization was committed to making meaningful reforms, including changing the composition of the Board and appointing several new CEOs, and despite the USOPC’s assistance in identifying and providing financial and other resources, USAB continued to demonstrate that it cannot meet the certification requirements.”