U.S. Center for SafeSport chief Ju'Riese Colón ousted
Colón's departure comes as SafeSport faces persistent questions and criticism from members of Congress, including about the center's hiring of former investigator Jason Krasley, who is now facing sexual assault-related charges stemming from incidents from his time as a police officer in Pennsylvania.
SafeSport, which was created in 2017 and is tasked with investigating allegations of abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sports, said board chair April Holmes will lead the organization on an interim basis as it searches for a new CEO.
"We are grateful for Ju'Riese's leadership and service," Holmes said in a statement. "As we look ahead, we will continue to focus on the Center's core mission of changing sport culture to keep athletes safe from abuse. The board is committed to Center employees, stakeholders, and most importantly athletes."
Colón was just the second CEO in SafeSport's history and had served in the role since 2019.
Congress created SafeSport following high-profile sexual abuse scandals in several sports, including gymnastics and taekwondo. It was intended to be an efficient, fair way to handle abuse complaints at all levels of the Olympic and Paralympic movement, from those involving Olympic-level athletes or coaches to those in youth sports.
In the roughly eight years since, however, the center has faced consistent criticism on a variety of fronts. There have been complaints about the lengthy delays in the resolution of some cases, and jurisdictional issues that routinely leave national governing bodies in the dark. The center has also been criticized for its high rate of administrative closures, which occur when SafeSport either decides there's insufficient evidence to support an allegation or the victim chooses not to participate in the investigation.
As CEO, Colón often acknowledged SafeSport's shortcomings and spoke about the various ways the center was working to improve its policies and procedures. But time and again, members of Congress have appeared unconvinced by the center's claims of progress or have been concerned about its actions in specific cases.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was the most recent member of Congress to speak out, requesting additional information from Colón about Krasley, the former SafeSport investigator. Krasley was fired in November after being arrested for allegedly stealing drug money during a police raid in 2019, prior to his time with SafeSport. He has since been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to sexual assault.
"Accusations of rape and other sex crimes against any SafeSport investigator are especially concerning given SafeSport's mandate to protect athletes from similar abuse," Grassley wrote.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.
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