'We're Not Mourning' Floyd, CrossFit CEO Told Owners

'I don't think we or any of my staff are,' Greg Glassman said
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 11, 2020 7:33 AM CDT
'We're Not Mourning' Floyd, CrossFit CEO Told Owners
In his resignation statement, Glassman said CrossFit's mission was 'too important to jeopardize.'   (Visionhaus for Reebok CrossFit via AP Images)

The calls for CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman to resign over his George Floyd remarks Saturday would have been even louder if he had shared what he told about 10 affiliate gym owners earlier in the day. According to a recording of the Zoom call obtained by CNN, Glassman told a Minneapolis gym owner who asked about the company's lack of comment on Floyd's death that he didn't see why the company should make a statement. "We're not mourning for George Floyd. I don't think we or any of my staff are," Glassman said. "Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it's the white thing to do?" Glassman also said Floyd's death "had nothing to do with race" and claimed that "friends in the FBI" had told him the man was killed to cover up a money laundering conspiracy. Affiliate owners who were on the call say he also spouted conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and antifa.

During what BuzzFeed reports was a 75-minute call, Glassman also said he doubted whether systemic racism exists in America and questioned the motives of protesters. "I doubt very much that they're mourning for Floyd," he said. In a blog post, CrossFit affiliate owner Mike Young says he was "amazed" by how incredibly inappropriate Glassman's remarks were. "While Glassman was not outright racist (in so much as he did not use the 'N' word or say that Floyd deserved to die), the most gracious description I can give is that he was tone deaf, insensitive, and in denial," Young writes, explaining he will not renew his affiliate license. After more than 100 gyms canceled their CrossFit affiliation, Glassman announced his resignation and retirement Tuesday, saying he had "unintentionally hurt" many members and "created a rift" in the community. (More CrossFit stories.)

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