Greg Glassman, the chief executive officer (CEO) of CrossFit, has resigned after his tweets about the death of George Floyd and the protests received flak.
CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman decided to step down from his position after athletes, gyms and sportswear firms ended their relationship with the company after he tweeted negatively about George Floyd's death and the ensuing protests that followed.
Glassman's announcement coincided with Floyd's funeral in Texas. Floyd died in police custody last month in Minneapolis after a policeman knelt on his neck.
The controversial tweets
On Saturday night, Glassman responded to public health body saying racism was a public health issue by tweeting: "It's FLOYD-19", a play on the Covid-19 virus.
He wrote another Twitter post saying: "Your failed model quarantined us and now you're going to model a solution to racism? George Floyd's brutal murder sparked riots nationally."
The CrossFit CEO also used the term "delusional" to describe an affiliate who questioned why CrossFit had been silent on the killing in Minneapolis.
BuzzFeed reported that hours prior to the tweets, Glassman had a Zoom call with gym owners, telling them: "We're not mourning for George Floyd - I don't think me or any of my staff are. Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it's the white thing to do."
Glassman's resignation
In a statement on Tuesday, Glassman said: "I'm stepping down as CEO of CrossFit, Inc, and I have decided to retire. On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members."
"I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ's or affiliates' missions. They are too important to jeopardize," he added.
Dave Castro, the incoming CEO of CrossFit, followed this up by saying: "CrossFit is a community - one that is global, diverse, and tough. Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences."
Glassman came up with the idea for the company while he was a high school gymnast in his parents' garage in California. The firm, which offers a branded exercise regimen that involves high-intensity group workouts with a focus on strength and conditioning, is now affiliated with an estimated 13,000 gyms worldwide.
Other US companies facing criticism surrounding the protests
Last week, several Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout as a sign of protest against CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s inaction against President Donald Trump’s controversial posts.
In response, a Facebook spokesperson said: “We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we’ll continue seeking their honest feedback.”
Zuckerberg also posted: “I’ve been struggling with how to respond to the President’s tweets and posts all day. Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric.”
“But I’m responsible for reacting not just in my personal capacity but as the leader of an institution committed to free expression,” he added.
Tech firm IBM has announced that it will stop providing biased facial recognition technology for “mass surveillance or racial profiling”. IBM wrote a letter to the US Congress, saying AI systems used in law enforcement needed to be tested “for bias”.
In the letter, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna claimed that the “fight against racism is as urgent as ever”, identifying three areas where the company wanted to work with Congress. These are police reform, responsible use of technology, and broadening skills and educational opportunities.
