U.S. snowboardcross coach, Olympian investigated for allegations of misconduct

Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The governing body for the U.S. ski and snowboard team confirmed it's investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against snowboardcross coach Peter Foley and of racism against an athlete competing in Beijing.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard representatives said it launched the probe after former Olympian Callan Chythlook-Sifsof made the allegations Sunday in a series of Instagram posts.

"U.S. Ski & Snowboard has been made aware of the recent allegations via a social media post," spokeswoman Annie Fast told Outsports, which first reported the allegations. "The behaviors detailed have no place in our sport or on our teams. We take accusations like this seriously and it is being investigated."

Spokesman Tom Horrocks confirmed the investigation in an email to USA Today.

In her posts on Instagram, Chythlook-Sifsof, who retired from the sport in 2014, said that during her time on the team, Foley took naked photos of female athletes and made crude sexual remarks to her about other women. She generally described her last year in competition, 2014, as "particularly toxic."

Additionally, she accused fellow SBX teammate Hagen Kearney of using racist language.

"Since Day 1 of making the team, Hagen Kearney had routinely and continuously used the n-word (as a norm) but intentionally to get under my skin," Chythlook-Sifsof wrote.

She said she repeatedly told him not to use the word while on a trip to a hotel, but he continued.

After arriving at the hotel, "Hagen was a few people behind me, cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled the n-word on repeat around 20 times as we walked," she wrote.

Chythlook-Sifsof said another former Olympian in SBX, Trevor Jacob, also made inappropriate sexual remarks about a woman in front of her to two coaches, all of whom laughed.

Foley and Kearney are participating in the Beijing Olympics, with Foley expected to coach Saturday's mixed team competition. Kearney finished 17th in men's SBX on Thursday and isn't scheduled to compete in the mixed team event.

From left to right, silver medalist Queralt Castellet of Spain, gold medalist Chloe Kim of the USA and bronze medalist Sena Tomita of Japan stand on the podium with their national flags after the women's snowboard halfpipe finals at the Winter Olympics in Zhangjiakou, China, on February 10. Photo by Bob Strong/UPI | License Photo