Editor’s note: This story contains alleged accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at or at https://www.rainn.org
Four women, including three former athletes and a former employee, have described sexual assault and harassment by Peter Foley, the former coach of U.S. Ski and Snowboard, ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk and Tisha Thompson reported Tuesday. Details of the case can be read here.
Since then, the same women and the U.S. Center for SafeSport claimed U.S. Ski and Snowboard interfered with the investigation of Foley.
U.S. Ski and Snowboard allegedly did not report the women’s allegations to U.S. Center for SafeSport, according to ESPN. The organization allegedly also misled the women and prevented them from reporting their case.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is on the Senate Judiciary Committee that investigates sexual abuse in Olympic sports. He sent a letter to U.S. Ski and Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt and general counsel Alison Pitt.
“The reports shared by the Center are very troubling,” Grassley wrote, via ESPN. “They allege that U.S. Ski and Snowboard leadership has been conducting its own investigation outside of the investigation being conducted by the Center, has failed to make notifications regarding sexual misconduct to the Center, and has failed to timely provide the Center with evidence in the possession of U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
“Further, it has been reported that U.S. Ski and Snowboard has actively provided misinformation to individuals involved in the investigation in an effort to discourage participation in the Center's investigation and to attempt to identify who may be participating in the investigation.”
Amateur sports organizations, such as U.S. Ski and Snowboard, must report any suspicion of any type of abuse to SafeSport and law enforcement, according to a bill passed by Congress in Aug. 2020. The new protocol was instituted following the case of Larry Nassar.
U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s punishment for investigation interference is unknown at the time. However, a penalty for wrongdoing can result in a lifetime ban from both U.S. Olympic and U.S. Paralympic Committee events.
