Scandal in U. S. sports with sexual violence
2023.02.03 02:11
Scandal in U. S. sports with sexual violence
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – According to court documents, three former snowboarders from the United States filed a lawsuit on Thursday against their former coach, the national snowboarding federation, and the U.S. Olympic Committee, claiming that the two sporting organizations covered up sexual abuse.
In the United States District Court for the central district of Los Angeles, Rosey Fletcher, Erin O’Malley, and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof filed a lawsuit against former coach Peter Foley, the United States Ski and Snowboard (USSS), and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
According to the lawsuit, Foley “coerced sexual acts through force, manipulation, emotional abuse, intimidation, and retaliation” by taking advantage of the athletes’ trust in him.
The suit, which seeks an undisclosed amount of money in damages, reads, “Foley’s abuse was reported to executives of the USSS and the USOPC on numerous occasions by multiple athletes who were coached by Foley, yet no action was taken.”
Foley is alleged to have engaged in widespread unwelcome and non-consensual sexual misconduct, according to the lawsuit.
Reuters was unable to determine whether Foley had legal representation. A request for clarification was not received from an attorney who had previously represented Foley.
A spokesperson for the USSS stated on Thursday that a statement would be forthcoming, while the USOPC did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Chythlook-Sifsof first made the claims in a series of Instagram posts in February of last year. She was a snowboarder who competed in the Olympic Games.
“I was totally surprised by the allegations,” Foley told reporters during the Winter Olympics in China in February. I categorically deny the claims.”
Foley was given a leave of absence by the USSS before he was fired a month later.
At the time, the U.S. Olympic Committee stated that it had reported the allegations to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which is responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse within the Olympic movement.
On Thursday, SafeSport stated in an email: To preserve the integrity of its investigation, the Center does not comment on matters.
In addition to competing at the Winter Games in 1998 and 2002, Fletcher also won a bronze medal at the Turin Games in 2006. O’Malley was a member of the national team in the 1990s, and Chythlook-Sifsof was a member of the Olympic team in Vancouver in 2010.
