CrossFit Founder Greg Glassman's Racial Remarks On George Floyd Costs Him Job, Reebok Ends 10-Year-Old Tie-Up

The chief executive resigned following apology for his tweet on George Floyd killing, which caused damage to the brand as Reebok ended its 10-year-old association with the fitness regimen.

New Delhi: CrossFit Inc founder Greg Glassman, who got embroiled in a controversy, has resigned after he tweeted last week on the killing of a black man George Floyd in the US which had sparked violence across America. The chief executive on Tuesday resigned following apology for his tweet on the killing which also caused damage to the brand as Reebok ended its 10 -year-old association with the fitness company, according to news agency Reuters report.

The resignation has come at a time when the death of George Floyd has led to violent protests with the racism issue gaining a spotlight in the US.

"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," the leader said in a company statement.

The fitness company has appointed Dave Castro as the new CEO.

The leader’s tweet was in response to a message by the research firm Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation which termed racism and discrimination as a public health issue. Glassman had posted on Saturday, "It's FLOYD-19".

Since the killing of George Floyd has evinced a lot of responses on social media about racism, several corporate in their Instagram posts and tweets have supported the protests sweeping the country.

The companies are voicing opposition to racism and support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid escalating pressures from consumers and employees.

However, people are demanding more actions beyond social media messages and statements and address the real issue. Besides cutting business ties, companies have also come forward in donating to civil rights organizations, and taking measures to support black-owned businesses or making progress to promote diversity and inclusion initiatives.

The tweet from the leader, which equated the police killing of Floyd to the COVID-19 pandemic, attracted a lot of criticism and ultimately following an apology from Glassman.