‘Boss wanted my medical file’ says WAIS staffer who quit after bullying claim
The sports official who helped Olympic champion Nina Kennedy report sexual abuse was ordered to undergo a medical examination – and told the file would go to the man she alleged was bullying her.
A Western Australian Institute of Sport employee who helped Olympic champion Nina Kennedy to report sexual abuse by her coach was ordered to attend a medical evaluation or face losing her job – and then told her confidential medical information would be handed directly to the boss she alleged was bullying her.
Maryanne Scholz, the former HR manager at WAIS, had insisted that Kennedy’s allegations against pole vault coach Alex Parnov – revealed by The Australian in December – must be reported to police, a move that was resisted by the institute’s former board.
The Australian has previously reported Ms Scholz’s allegation that she was bullied out of her job after helping Kennedy.
The new development comes as WAIS faces claims it tried to silence coach Paul Burgess, who was instrumental in exposing the shocking abuse, after it sent the whistleblower a letter demanding an end to its non-disparagement and confidentiality agreement.
Documents obtained by The Australian reveal that after working tirelessly to protect athletes, Ms Scholz took personal leave, only to be told by WAIS in April 2024 that she must attend “an independent medical evaluation” to determine her capacity for work.
In a letter to Ms Scholz the following day, recently appointed WAIS chairman Neale Fong warned her: “Failure to attend the medical evaluation as scheduled will result in disciplinary action, which can include potential termination of employment.”
Ms Scholz was assured the results of the evaluation would be “strictly confidential”. When Ms Scholz attended the appointment, she was asked to sign a form consenting to an evaluation that “may collect a wide range of personal information … including a full medical history, a work history and a personal/social history”.
She asked who would have access to her personal information and medical history. The doctor told her the information would be provided to WAIS chief executive Matt Fulton – the man she had complained was bullying her.
Ms Scholz told the doctor she was “very uncomfortable with information being disclosed to Mr Fulton given that she had made allegations of bullying against him”, and left without doing the medical exam.
Two days later a senior WAIS official wrote to her again stating that failure to attend another evaluation “may result in disciplinary action” but not addressing Ms Scholz’s fears about disclosure to Mr Fulton despite that clearly being the issue that resulted in the earlier medical examination being abandoned.
A lawyer acting for Ms Scholz told Dr Fong: “For the avoidance of doubt, our client does not consent to the disclosure of her personal information to Mr Fulton and will not be attending the independent medical examination tomorrow.
“In the circumstances, WAIS’ conduct and in particular its repeated directions to her to attend an independent medical evaluation, to sign the nominated consent form and to threaten disciplinary action against her if she does not comply, is plainly designed to force our client to resign from her employment or to provide WAIS with a purported basis to terminate our client’s employment.
“Our client has effectively been put in a position where she has no real option but to resign or be dismissed.”
Ms Scholz eventually signed a deed of settlement and left WAIS after lodging a workers compensation claim requesting that WAIS continue to provide her with counselling services.
The settlement deed signed by Ms Scholz and WAIS included clauses that neither of the parties would speak disparagingly of the other or reveal confidential information.
She then began a job as an integrity manager with a new employer within the sport sector.
But in November 2024, according to an email Ms Scholz sent to the WAIS board, Mr Fulton allegedly contacted the chief executive of her new employer to discuss her workers compensation status.
In a statement to The Australian, WAIS said it “cannot comment on any matters that are the subject of a confidential settlement between WAIS and Ms Scholz”.
Mr Fulton “categorically denied” that he had made any disparaging remarks about Ms Scholz to her new employer.
Mr Fulton did not answer specific questions about whether he would have had access to Ms Scholz’s confidential medical information, or whether that would have been appropriate, given Ms Scholz’s bullying allegations against him.
Dr Fong said: “The CEO has taken significant steps in embedding the Win Well philosophy, which is grounded in respect, wellbeing and fairness to all athletes and staff.”
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