WASHINGTON (DC)
The Associated Press
May 22, 2018
Two-time Olympic champion Steven Lopez complained to the U.S. Olympic Committee that he was subject to an “institutionalized witch hunt” designed to undermine his success — a piece of Congressional testimony offered by USA Taekwondo to undercut the notion that the organization was unwilling to discipline its top athletes for sexual abuse and other cases.
Lopez is currently under suspension while the U.S. Center for SafeSport investigates a case against him. His brother and coach, Jean, has been permanently banned for sexual misconduct.
Lopez wrote a letter last June to then-CEO Scott Blackmun of the USOC referencing three attempts by USA Taekwondo from 2013 to 2015, all overturned in arbitration, to ban Jean Lopez for actions that weren’t related to the sex abuse cases.
Lopez said the attempts were designed “to create the best possible conditions for my failure.”
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