Swimming Australia stood down President BARCLAY NETTLEFOLD on Saturday over allegations of "inappropriate" behavior towards a female team consultant, according to Amlan Chakraborty of REUTERS. Swimming Australia Board Dir NICOLE LIVINGSTONE said that "Nettlefold would be subjected to an investigation into the alleged inappropriate remark and another allegation of misbehaviour." Livingstone: "The Swimming Australia board was provided with new information today about a separate allegation of inappropriate comments in addition to the one that has already been handled through our member welfare policy." News Limited Network quoted Nettlefold as saying that "he had apologised to the woman." Nettlefold: "As the president of Swimming Australia, I need to lead by example and not make remarks that could be taken the wrong way, or be considered inappropriate. I have apologized to the team staff member involved and I will do so again in person when we meet" (REUTERS, 6/1). The AP reported the initial incident "is alleged to have taken place in an elevator where only Nettlefold and the complainant were present." Livingstone said that both cases of inappropriate behavior involved comments, "but would not comment on the specifics of the second case" (AP, 6/1).
PERSONALITY ATTACK: In Sydney, Laine Clark reported Nettlefold's claim that he was the victim of a ''personality attack'' might be investigated, but not the comments that led to the Swimming Australia president's resignation on Sunday. SA CEO MARK ANDERSON said that "an inquiry into claims of inappropriate behaviour by Nettlefold had been dropped after he fell on his sword." Nettlefold said on Sunday: ''Obviously, there is a personality attack on me and that needs to be dealt with internally.'' Asked about the comment, Anderson said: ''We reserve the right to investigate further, and we will take our time to do that" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/3). In Sydney, Dunn & Langmaid reported Nettlefold's wife, TINA NETTLEFOLD, has defended her husband, saying that "he has no history of making lewd comments." He was alleged to have called himself a "donkey" in reference to physical endowment. Tina Nettlefold said such "schoolyard comments," including reference to a woman's breasts, were not in Nettlefold's character and were part of a personal grudge against him. She claimed that the allegations "were a conspiracy to oust her husband after he made changes which might have upset entrenched views within the sport's bureaucracy." Tina Nettlefold: "Someone's toes have been stepped on and they didn't like it" (HERALD SUN, 6/3).
