CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman Retires Amidst Controversy Related to Tweets

CrossFit founder Greg Glassman retired on June 9, leaving the CEO role in the hands of Dave Castro, who was director of the CrossFit Games and co-director of training, CrossFit announced on its website.

Glassman’s retirement comes after his tweet on June 4 in response to an Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation tweet stating “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response, wherever they occur.”

Glassman replied to that tweet with “It’s FLOYD-19.”

FLOYD-19 seems to allude to George Floyd, the black man killed by Minneapolis police on May 25. 

That tweet and a subsequent attempt to explain it spurred outrage on Twitter by some CrossFit affiliates, boycotts by some athletes of the CrossFit Games, some sanctional organizers walking away and a decision by Reebok, the 10-year sponsor of the CrossFit Games, to end negotiations to sign a new sponsorship agreement. In addition, CrossFit Director of Training Nicole Carroll resigned due to the comments, and 1,000 affiliates announced they would give up their affiliation with the brand due to the comments, according to Morning Chalk Up, a website and e-newsletter devoted to following CrossFit news. The company has more than 15,000 affiliates worldwide, according to its website.

On June 7, Mike Young, who had been a CrossFit affiliate, posted on Medium.com that he was disaffiliating with CrossFit due to comments that Glassman allegedly made on a June 6 Zoom call with him and other affiliates. Young did not detail everything that Glassman said, but he said the call became contentious when an affiliate from Minneapolis asked Glassman to speak about CrossFit's stance on the racial tensions in the country and the Black Lives Matter movement, to which Glassman allegedly said, "I do not mourn George Floyd," and denied that racism exists in police forces. Young called for CrossFit HQ to release the recording of the call. 

Glassman is sole owner of CrossFit, and the company did not address whether he would maintain ownership.

Glassman shared this statement on the website about his retirement: “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. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the world’s largest network of gyms. All are aligned in offering an elegant solution to the vexing problem of chronic disease. Creating CrossFit and supporting its affiliates and legions of professional trainers has been a labor of love.

Those who know me know that my sole issue is the chronic disease epidemic. I know that CrossFit is the solution to this epidemic and that CrossFit HQ and its staff serve as the stewards of CrossFit affiliates worldwide. I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ’s or affiliates’ missions. They are too important to jeopardize.”

The website also shared this statement from Castro:

“CrossFit is a community — one that is global, diverse, and tough. Every person in our community shares a common bond. We are all dedicated to a visionary, transformative approach to health and fitness. Our individual passions for that approach have forged an enduring community.

Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences. Friction is inevitable. Common ground, mutual respect, and fellowship must also be inevitable. I’m honored to take on the role of CEO of CrossFit, Inc. I hope to do right by affiliates, trainers, athletes, and other members of the CrossFit community around the world and never lose sight of the mission Greg established for us all.”

CrossFit HQ shared a longer statement on its website offering an explanation for its silence about the controversy.

In June 2018, CrossFit fired its then chief knowledge officer Russell Berger after he tweeted support for a CrossFit affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana, who had cancelled an event that his staff had organized to support the LGBTQ community as part of Pride Month, causing some members and staff to quit.