United States Ski & Snowboard says it has opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior involving head coach Peter Foley.
“US Ski & Snowboard has been made aware of the recent allegations,” the organization said in a statement to DailyExpertNews. “We take these allegations very seriously and the allegations are being investigated.”
The allegations surfaced via Instagram posts by former athlete former athlete Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, a member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic snowboard team.
In a series of Instagram posts, 32-year-old Chythlook-Sifsof accused Foley of taking “nude photos of female athletes for over a decade”.
Chythlook-Sifsof’s post also accused fellow athlete Hagen Kearney of harassing behavior and using racist comments. Kearney is currently competing in snowboardcross in Beijing.
Chythlook-Sifsof reposted the allegations on her page and her story after Instagram removed them for violating “our nudity or sexual activity guidelines” and “bullying”.
What Foley Says: Foley has served as the head coach of the U.S. snowboard team since its inception in 1994. He denied the allegations, telling Newsweek that he was “surprised by them.”
He said: “I am surprised by the allegations. I strongly deny the allegations. I am doing my best to focus on supporting the athletes in the Olympics.”
The allegations: In one post, Chythlook-Sifsof began by saying, “I can’t watch another Olympics without saying this publicly.”
She went on to say that during a 2014 race in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, Foley made an explicit comment to her and a female teammate about sexual acts with another woman.
In the same post, she said that Kearney routinely used the n-word to “deliberately get under my skin.”
In an email to USA Today, Kearney said, “Years ago I made a mistake with my words and appropriate action was taken. I learned from my mistake and I am a better person now.”
US ski and snowboard spokesman Tom Horrocks declined to comment on whether Foley, who is currently in Beijing, will continue to coach during the Olympics, and declined to comment further at this time.
The US Center for SafeSport told DailyExpertNews they are not commenting on “matters to protect the integrity of the investigation process.”
DailyExpertNews has contacted Chythlook-Sifsof, Foley and Kearney for additional comment, but has not heard back immediately.
Kevin Dotson of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report