CrossFit founder Greg Glassman faced major backlash this weekend when the 63-year-old founder of the branded workout program posted a racist tweet mocking the murder of George Floyd and the current coronavirus pandemic.
And, now, he is out as CEO.
In response to a tweet about racism being a public health crisis, Glassman tweeted, “It’s FLOYD-19.” The uproar from that tweet led to athletic brand Reebok letting its longtime partnership with CrossFit expire. The brand also saw gyms across the country end their affiliations with CrossFit.
CrossFit eventually released an apology for Glassman, but BuzzFeed News recently recovered audio from Glassman’s staff Zoom call where the now-ex-CrossFit CEO floated conspiracy theories about George Floyd’s murder and said, “We’re not mourning for George Floyd — I don’t think me or any of my staff are.”
Shortly after BuzzFeed published the story, Glassman announced his resignation.
According to BuzzFeed, the call was 75 minutes, and Glassman dismissed the need to have CrossFit speak out on the systemic racism and police brutality that victimizes the black community. Via BuzzFeed:
“I doubt very much that they’re mourning for Floyd,” Glassman said on the call about protesters and CrossFitters who were looking for the company to speak out. “I don’t think that there’s a general mourning for Floyd in any community.”
Glassman had served as CrossFit’s CEO since co-founding the workout brand that built a large following while charging affiliate gyms a fee to use the “CrossFit” name. Dave Castro will replace Glassman as CEO.
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