Three former American snowboarders have filed sex trafficking lawsuits against their coach, federation, and Olympic committee, according to reports. The snowboarders include two past Olympians.

By Ryan Morik

At the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in Utah, Rosey Fletcher of the United States competes in the women’s parallel giant slalom snowboard qualification at Park City Mountain Resort. (Jamie Squire /Getty Image)

Bronze medallist Fletcher from 2006 claims that Foley sexually abused her twice, once when she was 19 and once at an Olympic post-race celebration. At the age of 15, O’Malley said that Foley allegedly verbally and mentally abused her while sexually assaulting her in an elevator in front of Fletcher and at sanctioned contests.

According to the lawsuit, “Foley started touching Erin and violently trying to kiss her – all without her consent.” Coaches and executives at both groups “supported Foley’s actions for almost 20 years, failed to take appropriate action, and assisted in the cover-up of Foley’s behaviour, allowing him to continue his pattern of abuse.”

At the 2005 World Junior Championships, when Chythlook-Sifsof was 16 years old, she claims that a male coach “almost three times her age from an opposition team” sexually assaulted her.

Lindsey Nikola, a former worker for the federation, claimed in a separate lawsuit filed on Thursday that Foley had “sexually harassed and sexually attacked” her and had coerced her into taking nude hotel room images during two World Cup ski competitions.

The complaints claim that Foley’s behaviour may have been avoided if the USSS had taken its responsibility for the safety of its young athletes and workers seriously.
The USSS fired Foley in March, not long after ESPN looked into the crimes.

By Ryan Morik