Three American snowboarders, including Rosey Fletcher, bronze medalist at the 2006 Olympics, are suing their former coach on charges of "
sexual violence
", as well as the Ski Federation and the National Olympic Committee which, according to them, covered up these actions, according to court documents.
Fletcher, Erin O'Malley and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, who are suing their former coach Peter Foley and these sports institutions, were heard Thursday in a court in Los Angeles.
They accuse Foley of "
sexual assault
" and "
grievous bodily harm
" against them and other women for "
nearly 20 years
" with
the "complicity, authorization and approval
" of the National Olympic Committee and Paralympic (USOPC) and the Ski and Snowboard Federation (USSS), they say.
The plaintiffs, who are seeking damages, believe that their former coach abused his relationship of trust with the athletes to "
force them into sexual acts
" by "
force, manipulation, psychological violence, intimidation and the threat of retaliation
”.
"
Foley's actions have been repeatedly reported to the USSS and USOPC leadership by several athletes who have been coached by Foley, but no action has been taken to date
," according to their statement.
“
We are aware of the lawsuits filed
”, reacted in a press release the USSS, specifying that it had “
not yet received the complaint and not had the opportunity to examine
it” in its entirety.
“
Although we have not yet received the complaint and we cannot comment at this stage, we take every allegation very seriously
” of sexual violence, for its part reacted the USOPC.
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof had already mentioned on social networks, in February 2022, the sexual violence of which Foley would have been guilty, while he was participating in the Beijing Games in his capacity as coach.
“
Peter Foley has been photographing nude female athletes for over a decade
,” she wrote.
Suspended in the wake of these accusations, Peter Foley was dismissed from his coaching duties the following month by the American Ski Federation.
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