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New York Post
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Shocking details emerge after Clemson fires gymnastics coach over alleged abusive behavior
Clemson fired former gymnastics coach Amy Smith in April following alleged 'verbal and mental abuse,' according to a report Monday from The Post and Courier. The South Carolina-based school reportedly cited sections on 'responsible treatment of athletes,' 'demonstrating concern for their welfare' and 'physical and/or emotional abuse' in its termination letter. One parent of a Clemson gymnast thanked athletic director Graham Neff for dismissing Smith on April 18 after he notified the athletes' parents, stating in an email how it would 'make a statement in the gymnastics community the abuse in any form is not and will not be tolerated.' Advertisement 3 Clemson coach Amy Smith in January 2025. Getty Images 'No one ever wants anyone to lose a job, but we also have hopes and expectations that people will do their jobs and do it without using any type of verbal and mental abuse,' the parent wrote. Clemson began moving toward firing Smith following an increase in messages to the school's anonymous hotline 'regarding the program's culture and environment,' per the report. Advertisement Stephanie Ellison-Johnson, Clemson's executive senior associate athletic director for sport administration and senior woman administrator, revealed in an April 10 email that there had been a bump in messages from the fall of 2024 to the spring of 2025, including 'emotional/mental abuse within the gymnastics team.' She called for a 'deeper dive,' per the outlet, which led to a survey in January and one-on-one meetings with 15 of 20 gymnasts. The school reportedly had a 'midyear review' on Feb. 17 with Smith, Ellison-Johnson and Neff before bringing in the parents for a March discussion. 3 Amy Smith celebrates with a Clemson gymnast. Getty Images Advertisement Clemson later met with Smith on April 6 regarding 'team culture and environment and roster management plans' for 2025-26, before the athletics office 'engaged legal counsel' for guidance and information sharing on April 9, as relayed by Ellison-Johnson and reported by the paper. The school had an April 11 meeting set between Neff and the gymnasts before firing Smith one week later. One parent responded to Neff's email about the move, per the outlet: 'It's been a long, long, long, hard season and these girls have handled it and done so much with so much stress and adversity.' Advertisement Clemson hired Smith in April 2022 to lead the school's new women's gymnastics program despite concern from her previous head coaching stint at Utah State from 2017-22 and time at North Carolina. Former Tar Heel Raine Gordon alleged that Smith — who served as an assistant coach at the school from 2012-13 and then became the assistant head coach from 2014-17 — body shamed her, as detailed in a 2023 report from The Washington Post. She claimed that Smith once said she bruised a calf during a fall because she was 'fat.' The paper further reported that 10 Utah State gymnasts left Smith's program in 2019. 3 Ken Ruinard – staff / USA TODAY NETWORK Clemson told The Washington Post it did an 'extensive amount of research' into Smith's background before hiring her, and Neff praised his new coach's culture-building skills upon bringing her into the fold. 'Amy knows college gymnastics inside and out, and has demonstrated the ability to help student-athletes achieve both in and out of the gym,' Neff said in a press release at the time. 'We are attempting to build this program the right way, and Amy and our administration share a vision for how great Clemson Gymnastics can be, and that she can help create a strong culture.'
UPI
16-05-2025
- Sport
- UPI
Registration open for clothing-optional 5k race in South Carolina
May 16 (UPI) -- A South Carolina resort says it already has a record 161 people signed up to run an annual 5k race with an unusual twist: it's clothing-optional. The Carolina Foothills Resort, a nudist resort in Spartanburg County, said this year's Buck Creek Streak 5k already has a record high number of people registered for the June 14 race. "You can go anywhere and do a 5k, but you can't go anywhere and run a 5k naked," Tom Crowder, who sits on the resort's board of directors, told The Post and Courier newspaper. "If you go to the turkey trot and drop your drawers, you're probably gonna be arrested." This year's race offers an option to "go the extra mile" and run 7.3k in honor of race founder Mike Ward, who died at the age of 73 in 2017. People who register for the 7.3k will also be eligible to win the 5k, organizers said. "A lot of people will come here for the first time during the 5k, which to me is pretty bold to come here for the first time and have that many people around," Crowder said. "But a lot of people will come back after that first visit because they'll have such a great time." Organizers said first-time visitors to the resort must pass a background check before being allowed onto resort grounds. Registration for newcomers is open until June 13, while returning visitors to the resort can register on the day of the 5k. Registration includes a free lunch and a day pass to explore the clothing-optional resort. "It's a great time," Crowder said. "If it wasn't fun, we wouldn't have a record number of people signed up. It's an all-day event. It's just a good time."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Former Yankee Star's Family Posts Heartwarming Tribute to Late 14-Year-Old Son
Former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, shared a heartwarming tribute to their 14-year-old son, Miller, who mysteriously died in his sleep during a family vacation in Costa Rica. The eighth-grader died on March 21 after the entire family had gotten sick from dinner at a restaurant next to the Arenas Del Mar resort they were staying at, near the Manuel Antonio National Park. 'The void Miller's passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years,' read the child's obituary in South Carolina's The Post and Courier. 'Miller's time here with them was brief, but his spirit will carry on forever through those who were impacted by the way he lived." The family added that they 'will miss his smile that brought joy to all.' Miller was a member of his middle school football team and junior varsity baseball team at Pinewood Preparatory School. An Honor Roll student, he loved to golf, fish, ride dirt bikes, hunt, and travel to new places with his family. The family asked that donations be made to The-Make-A-Wish Foundation in Miller's honor. 'Miller was so blessed with experiences and friendships in his 14 years, and he would want other children to have the opportunity to create their own wonderful memories,' the family said. The Arenas Del Mar resort also released a statement about the tragic incident. 'We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our hearts go out to the family during this incredibly difficult time,' the statement said. 'The factors that led to this tragic incident are unknown, and we are fully cooperating with authorities.' The young Gardner's death has raised speculation about the cause. Investigators ruled out death from asphyxiation and are not trying to determine if he suffered an allergic reaction to the food he had at dinner or the medication he took for food poisoning afterward. But the doctors who tried to save Miller find both these theories highly unusual. An allergic reaction to food is typically immediate, and a reaction to over-the-counter medication is extremely rare. The family is awaiting autopsy results. According to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigations Agency, authorities have already performed an autopsy, but it may take up to three months for the forensic teams to deliver the results because of the ongoing drug war in Costa Rica. Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, an official at the Judicial Investigations Agency, told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that the 'hike in homicides' resulting from drug gang violence has created a queue for autopsies. 'I can confirm that an autopsy has been carried out on Miller. But the full analysis and results ... will take at least two to three months due to these constant killings causing a backlog of cases,' he said. 'That's the reality.' A private celebration of life with family and close friends will be held for Miller at an unspecified date.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Funeral Plans Set For Miller Gardner As Family Still Waits For Answers
The family of former New York Yankees outfielder has announced plans for a private funeral service honoring his 14-year-old son, , whose sudden and tragic passing earlier this month in Costa Rica has shaken those closest to him. Miller passed away on March 21 during a family vacation in Costa Rica. According to an obituary published by The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, the celebration of Miller's life will take place at a later date at J. Henry Stuhr Northwoods Chapel. The service will be private, reserved for family and loved ones still reeling from what has been described as an 'unimaginable loss.' 'The void Miller's passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years,' the obituary reads. 'In this time of unimaginable loss, the family prays that joy and healing will come to others who share their grief.' Miller, an eighth grader at Pinewood Preparatory School, was remembered as a bright, athletic student with a love for sports, adventure, and family. He was a proud member of both the baseball and football teams and consistently earned a spot on the Honor Roll. 'Outside of school, his hobbies included golf, fishing, hunting, riding dirt bikes, and traveling to new places with his family,' the obituary continued. 'The Gardner family will forever cherish the places they visited, the people they met, the friends they made, and the memories they created together.' In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made in Miller's memory to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, honoring his spirit of adventure and generosity. 'Miller was so blessed with experiences and friendships in his 14 years, and he would want other children to have the opportunity to create their own wonderful memories,' the tribute read. Emergency services were called to the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort, where Miller had been staying with his parents, Brett and Jessica Gardner, and older brother, Hunter. According to Dr. Kevin Gannon of Manuel Antonio Urgent Care, first responders arrived to find Miller 'clinically dead,' with no vital signs. After 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation, he was pronounced deceased. Authorities in Costa Rica initially considered asphyxiation but later ruled it out. Investigators are now examining whether Miller may have suffered an allergic reaction to medication given for what appeared to be food poisoning. All members of the Gardner family reportedly became ill after dining out the night before. Arenas Del Mar, where the family had been staying, released a statement after the news broke. 'We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our hearts go out to the family during this incredibly difficult time," they said. "The factors that led to this tragic incident are unknown, and we are fully cooperating with authorities.' Due to a sharp rise in gang-related homicides in the region, Costa Rica's medical examiners are currently facing a severe backlog. As a result, the full results of Miller's autopsy may take several more months to be completed. 'We're having a hike in homicides as these drug gangs battle for territory and every one of them needs an autopsy,' senior official Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told Daily Mail. 'The full analysis and results will take at least two to three months.' Costa Rica has reported nearly 1,800 homicides over the past two years, with approximately 63% believed to be connected to organized crime. According to Alvarado, investigators have ruled out the initial theory that asphyxiation from vomiting due to food poisoning was to blame. The focus has now turned to three other possibilities: an adverse or allergic reaction to medication given for the family's symptoms, an undetected preexisting bacterial infection, or findings that may emerge from neuropathology and histology tests. As The Blast reported earlier on Monday, Miller's body has been returned to the family.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Nancy Mace accuses four men of sexual misconduct in explosive House floor speech
For nearly an hour on Monday night, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina gave an unprecedented speech on the House of Representatives floor accusing four men — including her ex-fiancé — of rape, sex trafficking and sexual misconduct against her and other women. Mace, who is considering a gubernatorial run, also said that her likely Republican rival in that race, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, did not prosecute the men despite her giving his office evidence of their actions months ago. 'I'm going scorched earth,' Mace said as several other Republican women lawmakers sat behind her in a show of support. 'We're talking about rape, nonconsensual photos, nonconsensual videos of women and underage girls, the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls,' Mace said. In a lengthy statement released Monday night, Wilson's office said it was 'categorically false' that they had received evidence related to Mace's allegations, that she and the attorney general had been at multiple events together in the preceding months and that she had Wilson's personal cell phone number. 'At this time, our office has not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters. Additionally, the Attorney General and members of his office have had no role and no knowledge of these allegations until her public statements,' the statement said. All four men, including Mace's ex-fiancé, denied the allegations when contacted by The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina. The State Law Enforcement Division, or SLED, confirmed to the newspaper late Monday that there was an open and active investigation. The 19th was unable to corroborate Mace's account or reach the four men directly. A section of the U.S. Constitution known as the 'speech and debate clause' generally protects members of Congress from legal fallout related to anything they say on the floor about legislative activities. Mace said in a release that members' statements on the House floor are 'legislative acts' and therefore protected, the Associated Press reported. Her office did not respond to a request for comment on the speech or the allegations within it. Mace is a third-term lawmaker who has made issues related to women and gender central to her political brand. She was the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the state military college in South Carolina. She was also the first Republican woman elected to represent the state in Congress. In the South Carolina statehouse, Mace, who generally opposes abortion, lobbied for the inclusion of exceptions for rape and incest in legislation that banned abortion after six weeks. Mace revealed at the time, in another speech on the statehouse floor, that she had been raped as a teenager. She also sponsored legislation that ended the shackling of pregnant women in prison. During her speech on Monday, she displayed a poster board containing a phone number for a victims' hotline. In the U.S. House, Mace has introduced a bill to ban transgender women from using bathrooms on federal property that do not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. This followed a campaign to bar first-term Rep. Sarah McBride, the first transgender lawmaker in Congress, from using the women's restrooms on Capitol Hill. Mace has said the efforts were necessary to 'protect women and girls,' a common argument used by President Donald Trump and his administration to support their anti-trans measures. She remains a strong supporter of Trump, a fellow Republican who has been accused by about two dozen women of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1970s. He has been found liable in court for sexual abuse. The post Rep. Nancy Mace accuses four men of sexual misconduct in explosive House floor speech appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
