USA TAEKWONDO CLEARS FORMER OFFICIAL

USA Taekwondo’s former executive director did nothing wrong in his decision to lift the temporary suspension of a twice-convicted felon, the group’s board of directors said Wednesday. A review found Keith Ferguson “acted appropriately and within the rules” when he intervened June 5 in the matter involving David Metz, the board said in a statement. Ferguson’s decision allowed Metz to compete in this year’s national championships, where he won two gold medals and a bronze. “Any allegation of misdeed or poor judgment as it relates to this matter has no basis in fact,” the statement read. The statement does not address the contradiction between Ferguson’s actions and USA Taekwondo’s bylaws and code of ethics, which do not give the executive director authority to hold a hearing or lift a suspension.