The episode has raised questions as to whether the reporting system for sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports is working the way it should some five years since the overhaul.
DENVER — When former members of the U.S. snowboarding team wanted to report sex-abuse allegations against a longtime coach, they received conflicting information that left them unsure of where to turn — or whether they wanted to pursue the cases at all.
“We only received the allegations from the U.S. Center for SafeSport after I emailed them to request that they provide them,” Jacobs said. Asked for details about this and other emails, spokeswoman Annie Skinner said the center does not comment about particular cases “to protect the integrity of the process and the confidentiality of affected individuals.”
The SafeSport Center was formed after dozens of athletes across several sports detailed decades of abuse allegations that were not handled properly by U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the sports organizations it oversaw. One reason it was formed was to prevent conflicts of interest that arose when executives or employees of a sports organization tried to resolve sex-abuse disputes involving athletes in their sport.
USSS provided AP with several emails and documents that indicate it contacted the SafeSport center immediately upon learning of Chythlook-Sifsof’s Instagram post.