AOC crisis as directors push for action over bullying allegations

AOC directors will push for Mike Tancred to be stood down until bullying claims against him are resolved.

Australian Olympic Committee media director Mike Tancred.

AOC directors have forced an ­extraordinary meeting to push for John Coates’s long-serving spokes­man Mike Tancred to be stood down from any involvement with the Australian Olympic movement until bullying and harassment allegations against him are resolved.

The Australian understands that at an emergency board meeting this week, Mr Coates will be asked to jettison Mr Tancred, his media director and self-­appointed campaign spokesman, less than two weeks before sports administrators meet to decide his tenure as Australian Olympic Committee president.

A group of directors will also push for a stalled, four-month ­investigation into a bullying complaint against Mr Tancred made by former AOC chief executive Fiona de Jong to be taken out of the hands of the AOC’s lawyer and referred to an independent investigator.

Three members of the AOC executive — Andrew Plympton, ­Nicole Livingstone and Danielle Woodward — requested this week’s special board meeting after Ms de Jong revealed details of her dispute with Mr Tancred, including an allegation that last year he threatened to “bury’’ her.

Ms de Jong, a well-regarded sports administrator with 12 years of experience in senior roles with the AOC, is on a shortlist of candidates to become the next chief executive of AFL club Hawthorn.

All members of the AOC executive have signed deeds of confidentiality preventing them publicly discussing Ms de Jong’s complaint.

Mr Coates declined to respond to The Australian. In a letter sent to all Olympic sports last night, he denied there was a bullying culture at his organisation and said he would refer Ms de Jong’s allegations to an independent, external committee for determination.

“On the eve of the election for president, there is clearly a co-­ordinated and sadly vindictive campaign to damage me personally and tarnish all that has been achieved by the AOC,’’ he said.

Since she spoke publicly about her alleged treatment inside the AOC, details have emerged of similar complaints against Mr Tancred by other former staff.

Mr Plympton, a one-time supporter of Mr Coates but now backing a campaign by Hockeyroos gold medallist Danielle Roche to replace him as AOC president, said the emergency meeting was needed to address growing “reputational’’ issues for the organisation. “With the culmination of ­issues that got to a tipping point over the weekend with direct allegations by Fiona, and other matters in the media, it is an appropriate time to discuss ­various matters to do with the conduct of the AOC,’’ Mr ­Plympton said.

“I am under a deed of confidentiality, therefore I have got no comment other than Fiona de Jong has made it all patently clear with her interviews over the weekend that contained information new to many members of the executive.’’

Livingstone, an Olympian standing as an independent candidate in next month’s election, said it was distressing to read the account of Ryan Wells, another former AOC employee who says he quit after he allegedly was threatened by Mr Tancred during the Athens Games.

“Working with the Australian Olympic Committee should be the dream job of any sports administrator worldwide,’’ she said.

“If we are not providing an ­atmosphere for employees that is safe and harassment- and bully-free, we are not doing what we should be doing.’’

Ms de Jong quit the AOC after the Rio Games. She said yesterday she was frustrated by the unexplained delay in resolving her complaint. Asked whether Mr Tancred should stand down, she said: “It would be reasonable, given the nature of allegations, mine and others, that the AOC would take interim measures.’’