Peter Foley no longer employed by US Ski and Snowboard following sexual misconduct allegations
Foley served as the coach of the US snowboard team since its inception in 1994
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Longtime Olympic coach Peter Foley is no longer with U.S. Ski and Snowboard following allegations of sexual misconduct.
"As of March 20, 2022, Peter Foley is no longer employed by U.S. Ski and Snowboard," U.S. Ski and Snowboard told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Mr. Foley has been on a leave of absence since February 21, 2022."
"Rob Fagen will act as interim head coach while we conduct a national search for a new world-class head coach for the U.S. Snowboardcross Team," the statement continued.
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Peter Foley watches training prior to snowboard cross qualification during the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix at The Canyons Ski Resort on February 10, 2012, in Park City, Utah. ((Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images))
Last month, U.S. Ski and Snowboard said it was investigating allegations against Foley, who had served as the coach of the U.S. snowboard team since its inception in 1994.
The investigation came after former U.S. Olympic snowboarder Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, from Alaska, wrote in an Instagram post on Feb. 9 that Foley took "naked photos of female athletes for over a decade."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Foley was in China that week for the Beijing Games.
"I vehemently deny the allegations," he said in a text at the time. "I’m doing my best to concentrate on supporting the athletes at the Olympics."
US SNOWBOARD COACH, RIDER BEING INVESTIGATED FOR MISCONDUCT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Friday, ESPN reported that Foley was suspended temporarily by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which opened in 2017 to handle harassment and other abuse allegations inside U.S. sports.
Foley, 56, was suspended pending a formal investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct.
Chythlook-Sifsof talked about the suspension on Instagram Friday, calling it a "first step," with "more to come."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Snowboard cross racer Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, of Girdwood, Alaska, is a member of the US Olympic team. ((Photo by Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
"Cheers to the strong women, public pressure, the grassroots activism and putting an end to Peter Foley’s 30-year cycle of abuse," she wrote.
On Sunday, Foley's attorney, Howard Jacobs, told ESPN that any sexual misconduct allegations made against his client were "false."
"Mr. Foley has not engaged in any conduct that violates the SafeSport Code, and he will cooperate with the U.S. Center for SafeSport when and if they contact him," Jacobs said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lindsey Jacobellis, the most decorated female snowboard cross athlete of all time, previously said she never had an issue with Foley and could "speak very highly of his character."
(L-R) Nate Holland, J.J. Tomlinson, Peter Foley, U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach, and Graham Watanabe discuss the course during training prior to snowboard cross qualification during the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix at The Canyons Ski Resort on February 10, 2012 in Park City, Utah. ((Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images))
Foley's athletes -- both men, and women -- have won a combined 35 Olympic medals.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding.
The Associated Press contributed to this report