Post: US figure skaters’ lawsuits against their coaches and sports organizations for sexual assault

Olympic bronze medalist Rosie Fletcher and two other American snowboarders are suing her former coach, the US Snowboard Association and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for “sexual abuse that these organizations covered up”.

Fletcher, a 2006 Olympic bronze medalist along with Erin O’Malley and Callan Chitlock-Sivsoff, sued former coach Peter Foley and sports authority in the Los Angeles County District Court.

The athletes alleged that Foley sexually assaulted and beat them and other women “for nearly 20 years” with the “assistance, permission and approval” of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the U.S. Snowboard and Snowboard Association.

The suit, which seeks unspecified monetary damages, alleges that Foley used his position of trust with the athletes to “force them into a sexual relationship through force, manipulation, emotional abuse, intimidation and retaliation.”

“Foley’s misconduct was repeatedly reported to the United States Paralympic Committee and the United States Ski and Snowboard Association by several athletes coached by Foley, but no action was taken,” the lawsuit states.

In a separate lawsuit filed Thursday, Lindsay Nicola, a staff member of the US Sports Communications Committee, accused Foley of sexual misconduct.

“We are aware of the complaints that have been filed,” the USAF said in a statement. “The complaint has not yet been reported to USA Ski and Snowboard and they have not had an opportunity to fully review it. USA Ski and Snowboard is and will continue to be an organization that puts the safety, health and well-being of its athletes and employees first. “

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said it could not comment on the details of the lawsuit because it was not yet able to review it.

Chitlock-Sevsov previously posted on social media “details” of Foley’s sexual misconduct in February 2022, when the latter was coaching Team USA at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

He said on Instagram that Peter Foley took nude photos of the athlete for “more than a decade” and made sexual comments to her and a teammate when she was just 17 in Lake Louise, Canada, in 2014.

After the allegations became public, Foley gained support from some Olympic figure skaters.

Source: EuroNews

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