Australian Olympics media head cleared of bullying allegations

SYDNEY, (Reuters) - Australian Olympic Committee media head Mike Tancred has been cleared of allegations of bullying after an independent investigation, the organisation said yesterday.

Tancred stood down from his role in April after allegations of bullying were made by former AOC chief executive Fiona de Jong.

An independent committee investigated complaints from three former AOC staff members and a member of the public who had objected to Tancred’s conduct.

The committee ruled “that none of the complaints has been made out on an objective basis”, the AOC said.

The AOC has been embroiled in controversy in the past 12 months with longterm President John Coates fighting off a challenge for his position, which was sparked by a feud with Australian Sports Commission chief John Wylie.

An independent review of the AOC also revealed that some staff viewed the organisation as “dysfunctional” and had witnessed “‘deceitful’, ‘two-faced’, ‘egotistic’ and/or ‘belligerent’” behaviour from senior staff.

Coates said the report had exonerated him personally and refused to accept any responsibility for the organisation’s dysfunctional culture.

De Jong said last Sunday that Coates set the culture within the organisation and had to shoulder his share of blame.