Allegations Against US Fencer Keep Him Out of Olympic Village

An alternate on the US fencing team is in Tokyo with the rest of the team, but he had to fly separately and is not allowed to train or live in the Olympic Village due to accusations of sexual misconduct that three women have made against him. Alen Hadzic, 29, of New Jersey, denies the allegations, which span the years 2013 to 2015, and the situation has lawyers for both sides calling the whole system "broken" (Hadzic's lawyer) or "rigged" (the lawyer for one of the accusers). The New York Times says it "reflects the complicated, awkward and sometimes acrimonious efforts" made by those involved in the Olympics in the US to deal with sexual abuse claims in the post-Larry Nassar world. Hadzic appealed the decision to require him to stay out of Olympic Village, but his appeal was denied Thursday, USA Today reports.

Hadzic's lawyer says USA Fencing has known about the allegations for years and had never placed any restrictions on him before he made the Olympic team in May. That month, the women took their allegations to the US Center for SafeSport, which temporarily suspended him June 2. He appealed, and that suspension was overturned June 29, making him once again eligible for the Olympics. He's never been charged with anything, but after a Title IX investigation, he was suspended from Columbia University for the 2013-14 school year. While Hadzic's lawyer says SafeSport puts those who are accused at a disadvantage by considering accusations to be true (but subject to rebuttal), the lawyer for one of the accusers says it's "rigged" against alleged victims, noting that the arbitration hearing occurred before at least one accuser had offered her full testimony. (See the Times for much more.)