Canadian Olympic Committee President Steps Down Over Sexual Harassment Claims

By Christian Radnedge

Marcel Aubut has stepped down as the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) following allegations of sexual harassment.

In a statement, there the COC confirmed it had received a formal complaint against Aubut last month. The charge is thought to relate to comments made to a female colleague of Aubut.

“Mr. Aubut has requested, and the Canadian Olympic Committee has agreed, that he step away from his duties as Canadian Olympic Committee president and Canadian Olympic Foundation chairman for the duration of the investigation,” the COC statement said.

“He has indicated that he will co-operate fully with the investigation, which, by its nature is confidential, out of respect for the parties.”

Aubut, who was appointed COC president in 2010, released his own statement this week in which he pledged to cooperate fully with “those responsible for investigating the remarks attributed to him and setting the record straight”.

The statement added: “Mr Aubut never intended to offend or upset anyone by anything he might have said in the performance of his duties.”

Aubut is also the former president of the Quebec Noriques, a team formerly of the National Hockey League before the franchise moved to Colorado in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche.

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