The Australian Olympic Committee will "submit to an independent review of its workplace practices prompted by a series of complaints by former staff" -- but "not explicitly" into claims made against "controversial" President John Coates -- it was resolved at a "crisis" board meeting on Wednesday, according to Baum & Bachelard of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The decision represents a "modest victory for three rebel directors marshalled by Andrew Plympton," who are seeking to dislodge Coates after 27 years and replace him with former Hockeyroo Danielle Roche. The extraordinary meeting was triggered by former CEO Fiona de Jong's charge of bullying against Media Dir Mike Tancred last year. On Wednesday, the board referred that complaint to a separate independent inquiry by three yet-to-be-named senior lawyers or retired judges, acting with "absolute and sole discretion." De Jong said on Wednesday that she was "yet to receive formal clarification of the process, but conceptually I'm pleased an independent committee will determine the matter" (SMH, 4/26).
EMAILS EMERGE: In Melbourne, Leo Schlink reported private emails that show the "denigration used in the workplace" by Coates have emerged as he fights to save his A$750,000 ($560,900)-a-year job. De Jong released an "explosive dossier detailing 12 separate complaints and investigations into bullying" within the organization. Seven complaints allegedly involve Tancred, a "Coates loyalist," whose "move to step down from his post was announced just 68 minutes after" de Jong's letter was published online. In the released emails, Coates tells de Jong that she should "get out in the real world," because he was not running "a sheltered workshop." Coates was accused by de Jong of making "inaccurate and misleading accusations" about the handling of her bullying complaint against Tancred (HERALD SUN, 4/26).
