The U.S. Center for SafeSport formally reported to Congress on Monday that USA Badminton CEO Linda French discouraged the reporting of sexual misconduct by a prominent individual in the sport both before and after the 2020 Olympic Games.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport also found that French retaliated against a USA Badminton employee for reporting sexual misconduct to the Center and interfered or attempted to influence a SafeSport investigation of sexual misconduct, according to a summary of a confidential report to Congress.
Under the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act passed by Congress in 2020, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (the USOPC) and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) “shall not interfere in, or attempt to influence the outcome of …” a U.S Center for SafeSport (the Center) investigation.
The act also requires the U.S. Center for SafeSport to report to Congress, within 72 hours, any actions of the USOPC or an NGB that might “constitute an attempt to interfere in or influence a Center investigation.”
SafeSport also recommended that French “be prohibited from holding a leadership position within USA Badminton and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement at large.”
“In order for sport culture to change, accountability must go beyond the individual and take root at the core of an organization,” Ju’Riese Colon, SafeSport CEO said in a statement to SCNG. “Any attempt by those in positions of power to stifle reporting will not be tolerated.”
French was suspended for five years earlier this year after what the U.S. Center for SafeSport described as a “thorough investigation” found “by a preponderance of the evidence” that she committed five violations of the SafeSport code including two counts of failing to report child abuse and/or sexual abuse as required by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, discouraging Alistair Casey, the national governing body’s SafeSport officer and chief of staff, from reporting that abuse and then firing Casey when he did, according to confidential SafeSport documents provided to the Southern California News Group.
USA Badminton’s board chairman Ken Wong received a two-year suspension for retaliating against Casey, according to confidential SafeSport documents.
French is believed to be the first national governing body CEO to be suspended by SafeSport since 2018.
The documents detail how French, a two-time Olympian and now a Florida-based immigration attorney, discouraged Casey from reporting allegations that two young athletes had been abused by two different coaches. The SafeSport documents also found that French allowed Jon Little, the federation’s general counsel, to make claimants’ names public in October 2021.
The report also said that Casey was fired at USA Badminton “due in part” to his reporting the abuse allegations to SafeSport.
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French acknowledged that she spoke to Casey shortly before leaving for Tokyo for the Olympic Games in July 2021 and admitted asking him “if he wanted to wait 30 days until after the Olympics” to file a complaint with SafeSport about the sexual abuse allegations against a coach because she might run into the coach and his grandchildren at the Games, according to SafeSport documents.
She said she never encouraged Casey not to report the allegations but did admit to saying reporting “would stir up trouble,” according to the report.
Casey proceeded to report the allegations to SafeSport and the case and Little’s role attracted Congressional attention and criticism. Casey later alleged he was fired as retaliation for reporting the allegations. USA Badminton secretly paid Casey $1 million in a settlement.