Peter Foley: Former US snowboarders file lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by ex-coach
- Published
Foley was sacked by the US Ski and Snowboard a month after the allegations were made against him.
Three former United States snowboarders have filed a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by ex-coach Peter Foley.
Rosey Fletcher, Callan Chythlook-Sifsof and Erin O'Malley are suing Foley, plus US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), accusing the governing bodies of hiding the alleged abuse.
Chythlook-Sifsof first raised the allegations last February on Instagram.
Foley, who coached the US team between 1994 and 2022, denies the allegations.
The lawsuit alleges that accusations of abuse from Foley were reported numerous times to the USSS and USOPC but no action was taken.
It accuses Foley of exploiting his position of trust with the athletes to "coerce sexual acts through force, manipulation, emotional abuse, intimidation and retaliation".
The USSS has said it is "aware of the lawsuits but [it has] not yet been served with the complaint".
The USOPC said it could not comment because it had not received the complaint but added: "We take every allegation of abuse very seriously.
"The USOPC is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Team USA athletes, and we are taking every step to identify, report, and eliminate abuse in our community."
Fletcher competed at three Olympics, winning bronze in Turin in 2006, Chythlook-Sifsof attended the 2010 Games in Vancouver, while O'Malley was part of the national team in the 1990s.