Former USA Gymnastics (USAG) Men’s Program Manager, Lisa Mendel is disputing the organization’s explanation for her recent termination, alleging she was made a scapegoat in a broader failure of accountability to report to SafeSport.
In a statement released exclusively to GymCastic on May 3rd through legal counsel, Mendel said she was terminated over “an alleged failure to report an athlete incident to SafeSport in a timely manner.”
USAG Gymnastics took issue with her claims, in a response to GymCastic about Mendel’s statement they said, “All USA Gymnastics employees are mandatory reporters under federal law who must immediately report suspected or alleged child abuse to both the U.S. Center for SafeSport and local law enforcement. USA Gymnastics takes these obligations very seriously. While USA Gymnastics cannot comment on personnel matters or ongoing SafeSport investigations, Ms. Mendel’s statement does not contain accurate information.”
The dispute centers on allegations involving mandatory SafeSport reporting obligations and whether the information available triggered a legal and ethical duty to report suspected misconduct.
Mendel states that she first became aware of “a possible SafeSport violation” from Sean Townsend “around April 14, 2026.” She says that on April 15 she was asked to move an athlete from the club, HGA (in Texas) to another gym and subsequently contacted USAG Compliance Officer, Christina Pachuta, to ask whether a SafeSport report had already been received.
According to Mendel, Pachuta instructed her to file a report. Mendel says she responded that she “did not have enough details to do so,” but would file “something” as instructed. Five days later she was fired.
Mendel argues she “never believed” she had been provided “a good-faith basis to file a report with law enforcement or the Center.” Mendel alleges that her effort to verify whether reporting procedures had already been followed “is arguably what led to my dismissal.”
Mandatory Reporter Requirements
Was the information available enough to trigger mandatory reporting obligations under SafeSport rules and Texas law?
SafeSport rules and federal law governing Olympic and Paralympic sport organizations make USAG employees mandatory reporters; requiring adults to report suspected child abuse or sexual misconduct involving minors immediately once there is reasonable suspicion or a good-faith belief misconduct may have occurred. This is the point of contention Mendel raises.
The SafeSport Code does not require certainty before a report is made. Public SafeSport guidance repeatedly uses standards such as “reasonable suspicion,” “suspected,” or “good faith belief” that misconduct may have occurred.
Mendel repeats in her letter, “Again, I still do not believe that I had a good faith basis to file that report.”
SafeSport rules further emphasize that mandatory reporters are not investigators and are not expected to independently determine whether allegations are ultimately true before reporting them. Rather, those determinations are intended to be handled by SafeSport investigators and law enforcement.
Texas law similarly requires reporting when a person has “cause to believe” abuse or neglect may have occurred, not when the reporter can independently prove the allegation.
At the same time, SafeSport rules do not require reporting where absolutely no allegation, disclosure, information, or reasonable suspicion exists. The disagreement in this case appears to concern where that threshold begins.
Singled Out?
Mendel alleges that “multiple professional members, club management, and USA Gymnastics employees” had prior knowledge of the matter before it reached her. She further states that she was “the only person being held accountable for information that was available to the coach and club at least as early as April 6, 2026.” If accurate, that timeline would suggest some individuals at the club level may have had knowledge of the allegations approximately eight days before Mendel says she became aware of them.
Mendel also states that Sean Townsend told her “that a report had been filed regarding the alleged incident.” However, she contends that, “neither SafeSport or USA Gymnastics ever received a complaint from any of the underlying coaches or club.” It is important to note that Mendel would not necessarily have independent access to all reports made directly to The Center for SafeSport or law enforcement outside USAG internal channels.
GymCastic reached out to individuals named in Mendel’s statement, requesting comment regarding the allegations and characterizations contained in the letter and at the time of publication, have not received a response.
Mendel’s statement also contains broader allegations regarding transparency and culture within the men’s program. Among them, Mendel alleges: “Last year, the Men’s Development Program Director instructed the national team coaches to make certain they didn’t tell me what happened at national team camps.” She further alleges that USAG “refused to do anything” after she reported that “a coach had been removed from a plane due to intoxication.” She concludes: “I was terminated for continuing to ask questions and expecting transparency and accountability.” The statement provided by USAG to GymCastic does not address all the allegations made in Mendel’s letter.
Mendel states she intends to continue “all legal and other means to defend my name and reputation.”
Her statement repeatedly calls for “transparency and accountability” inside USAG and argues she is being unfairly singled out for information others allegedly possessed earlier.
The Historical Context
The allegations arrive nearly a decade after GymCastic reported on another major controversy involving the USA Gymnastics men’s program and the handling of misconduct allegations.
In February 2017, GymCastic published an interview with World medalist Steven Legendre and his wife, former national team member, Alaina Legendre regarding allegations that then-men’s national team coach Vitaly Marinich sexually assaulted Alaina Legendre after the 2014 P&G Championships in Pittsburgh.
That reporting examined how USAG leadership handled the complaint, including criticism directed at then-CEO Steve Penny and the organization’s internal response.
One month after GymCastic published the interview, Steve Penny resigned as president and CEO of USAG amid mounting pressure over the organization’s handling of abuse allegations.
Neither Penny nor Marinich remains with USAG.
Marinich later became head coach of the French men’s national team. In 2023, French newspaper Le Monde reported that the French Gymnastics Federation moved to dismiss Marinich over alcohol-related issues after a training camp in Mallorca, including allegations of inappropriate conduct toward staff.
Current USAG President and CEO Kyle Albrecht has publicly emphasized athlete safety, SafeSport enforcement, transparency, and accountability as central priorities for the organization.
In an exclusive March 2026 interview with GymCastic, Albrecht said, “There’s always more we can do from an athlete safety perspective. We’re always going to be prioritizing athlete safety.” Albrecht also stated, “We absolutely want to focus on a culture of transparency and accountability. And we want people to feel empowered to share—when they see something or hear something.” Discussing USAGs’ enforcement of SafeSport-related policies, Albrecht said, “We are going to take action that’s in the best interest of athlete safety.” Adding, “Ultimately we’re going to make the right decision based on athlete safety as the number one priority.”
Read Lisa Mendel’s full statement
So informative! Thanks for the in-depth JOURNALISM!