DENVER (AP) — Longtime snowboard coach Peter Foley was suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport on Tuesday for sexual misconduct and violating policies at U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
Foley’s suspension came after a near 18-month investigation that stemmed from an Instagram post by a former team member during last year’s Winter Olympics. That post led to allegations by others that Foley had molested them, coerced them into taking naked pictures, crawled into bed with them and nurtured an atmosphere in which women were treated as sex objects.
A former member of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s board of directors, Lisa Kosglow, also was suspended for “abuse of process” and “failure to report.”
“U.S. Ski & Snowboard strongly believes that there is no place in sport for abuse and misconduct, and we support the Center’s mission to end abuse on behalf of athletes everywhere,” the federation said in a statement.
A person familiar with the case who requested not to be named because the length of the penalties had not been publicly released, told The Associated Press that Foley’s suspension was 10 years with five years’ probation tacked onto the end, as first reported by ESPN. The person said Kosglow was suspended for three years with two years’ additional probation.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard fired Foley in March 2022, citing results of a workplace investigation it conducted while the center — which had temporarily suspended Foley — completed its own case.
Foley had been head coach of the U.S. snowboard team since 1994 and took the team to seven Olympics.
But during the Beijing Games in February 2022, former Olympic snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof went to Instagram accusing Foley of inappropriate behavior with his athletes.
Later, ESPN reported that Foley had sexually assaulted a former U.S. team member and an employee.
Foley’s attorney, Howard Jacobs, did not immediately respond to an email sent by the AP. He had previously stated that any allegations of sexual misconduct against Foley were false. Both suspensions are not considered final, since they are subject to appeal.
