Yahoo Sports Team USA wrestling chiropractor apologizes for post comparing COVID-19 protocols to Nazi Germany
The United States women’s wrestling team chiropractor apologized on Wednesday for a social media post in which she compared COVID-19 protocols at the Tokyo Olympics to Nazi Germany.
Rosie Gallegos-Main wrote in a letter Wednesday that she was sorry “for my poor judgement and my choice to share this message,” per The Associated Press.
Gallegos-Main is in Japan with the team, and will be allowed to finish through the Games. It’s unclear if she will be able to keep her post – a volunteer post not officially accredited with the U.S. delegation that she’s held since 2009 — but she will go through diversity, equity and inclusion training, per the report.
Team USA chiropractor apologizes for Nazi-COVID post
Gallegos-Main posted on both Instagram and Facebook comparing coronavirus health and safety protocols to Nazi Germany — a comparison some right wing figures have tried to make since the pandemic began.
“We went from ‘Flattening the curve in 14 days’ to ‘Going door-to-door to see your papers’ ... Gotta admit, I did N-A-Z-I that one coming,” the post said, per the report.
The post was flagged by both social media sites for containing misinformation.
Gallegos-Main said she didn’t think about “how the ending of the meme might affect others” and that the post wasn’t intended to have “anything to do with Germany and the Jewish people."
“I now see that these are linked and can’t be separated,” she wrote, via The Associated Press. “I will never use this word again in any form that does not have a proper foundation for its usage, such as in a history lesson or in educating people about the past.
“I’m deeply saddened by this and wish to apologize for my poor judgment and my choice to share this message. I am also sorry that this may have been a distraction for the delegation which should be focused on supporting our athletes to the best of our ability.”
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee condemned Gallegos-Main in a statement, too.
“The post that this volunteer shared is completely inconsistent with our values and we made this clear to her as soon as we became aware of it," via The Associated Press.
“As shown through her prompt removal of the share and her apology, she has shown clear remorse and committed to an educational process with DE&I experts. The USOPC will work with USA Wrestling to see that she gets that educational resource and understands our organization’s shared global purpose of building a better, more inclusive world through sport.”
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