Aubut Quits Canadian Olympic Committee

(ATR) Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut resigns rather than face a probe of sexual harassment allegations.

"I announce today that I am stepping down as president of the Canadian Olympic Committee, to which I have devoted the past 10 years of my life and championed with all my energy," Aubut wrote in a statement released on Oct. 3.

Aubut had been accused of sexual harassment on Sept. 25 by a female employee of the COC, causing him to step aside on Sept. 30 while an investigation was launched by a former Quebec Superior Court chief judge.

As a result of Aubut’s resignation, the complaint was withdrawn and the probe was cancelled.

In the statement, Aubut conceded that the allegations could jeopardize COC operations and the ripple effects could harm performance of Canadian athletes "who have always been the focus of my concerns and my volunteer involvement in the Canadian Olympic world."

"I realize that my attitude could at times be perceived as questionable by some women and could have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I acknowledge this and will adjust my behavior accordingly," he wrote.

COC has not announced a succession plan.

The probe Aubut faced expanded Oct. 2 in the wake of complaints against Aubut by two more women. The COC said it would continue with a third-party investigation of the two newer complaints. One of the women is Amelia Salehabadi-Fouques, a Montreal corporate lawyer and member of the Canadian Soccer Association board of directors. In interviews with French-language media in Quebec, she alleged that Aubut had kissed her without consent during a dinner meeting and propositioned her in front of her teenage son at a Canada 2014 Women’s Under-20 World Cup match. She said she did not complain earlier for fear of reprisal.

"The COC has clear policies that include measures to address harassment of any kind in the workplace," said a statement from the COC. "Having a workplace environment that is healthy and safe for all of our employees and those attached to the Olympic movement is critical to our organization and we will examine every possible way to improve those processes."

Aubut, 67, is a former National Hockey League executive who became COC president in April 2010. Aubut was a partner in the Heenan Blaikie law firm that dissolved in 2014. He is now a partner in BCF, a Montreal firm.

Written by Bob Mackin.