CrossFit Chief Executive Retires Over Offensive Remark Towards Deceased African American

CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman has stepped down from his role at the company that he founded over a phone conversation over the death of George Floyd - an African American choked to death by an officer on May 28. 

Greg's comment in a Zoom call with his employees last weekend over the deceased that has caused outrage in the United States was deemed inappropriate and offensive. Making the matter worse, on the same day, referring to George Floyd, he replied "It's Floyd-19" to a tweeted about the deceased by Institute For Health Metrics and Evaluation that reads: "RACISM IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE." 

Earlier in the private conversation with the employees that lasted for 75 minutes, he was heard saying: "We're not mourning for George Floyd - I don't think me or any of my staff are." 

The comment sent a shock wave across the internet and his company maintained silence over a period before releasing an apology.  In the apology, it strongly condemned the comment as "incredibly insensitive and hurtful" and expressed the company's displeasure in any form of racist views towards any ethnic minorities. Following the apology was the announcement of Greg's resignation. 

"I'm stepping down my role as CEO of CrossFit," Greg announced his resignation in a statement released on the company official website. "On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members...Those who know me know that my sole issue is the chronic disease epidemic. I know that CrossFit is the solution to the epidemic."

The offensive remark has cost the company one of its major kit suppliers Reebok, which has cut ties with the company over the racially biased comment of its chief executive.