SafeSport Center flew investigator to training, after-hours socials despite knowing of his arrest

Yahoo

a day ago

DENVER (AP) — Less than a week after the U.S. Center for SafeSport learned an investigator had been arrested once for theft and again for harassment, it paid his way to agency headquarters for an all-staff training session that included after-hours socials where the center provided vouchers for drinks.
The center would go on to fire the investigator, Jason Krasley, who would later also be arrested for sex crimes allegedly committed while he was at his previous job, a vice cop for the Allentown, Pennsylvania., police department.
The center's handling of the Krasley matter triggered an inquiry by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and played a key role in the firing of CEO Ju'Riese Colon in April.
These before-undisclosed details about how the center responded when it found out about a pair of Krasley's arrests – one in 2019 and one in 2024 – lend more insight into its handling of a sensitive employment matter that ended up sending shockwaves through the center and the Olympic community.
In responses to questions from The Associated Press, SafeSport explained Krasley was allowed to participate in the event because 'the Center adhered to directives from law enforcement to not take any actions that could alert the investigator to a criminal investigation.' Krasley is free on bond as his cases await trial. His attorney has said Krasley is innocent of the charges.
The center fired Krasley on Nov. 15, more than two months after the training sessions. Not until an AP report in December did Krasley's arrest for theft and his firing from the center become public. Another AP report in January revealed that Krasley had subsequently been arrested for charges including rape and sex trafficking.
Three employees who also attended the training and social events, which spilled over into some after-hours drinks at the hotel bar where the out-of-towners were staying, confirmed to AP that Krasley was there and that none were made aware of the legal troubles that were beginning to pile up for the investigator. None reported any inappropriate contact from Krasley,
The people who told AP about the training did not want their names used for fear it could impact their jobs.
Difficult training courses but also a 'Joyologist'
The center, which was established in 2017 to handle abuse allegations in Olympic sports, said the training included sessions about trauma-informed practices, department presentations by staff, an update on the Center's strategic plan, and various team-building activities.
'Given the difficult subject matter staff deal with on a daily basis, the Center prioritizes employee well-being,' the center's email said.
One of the well-being sessions involved a presentation from a person described as a 'Joyologist.'
A person who attended that session said it lasted about 90 minutes, and included exercises in which employees made small puppets and played games of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors.'
The center said the session 'was facilitated by a medical doctor and focused on understanding the science of joy and improving individuals' quality of life, approach to work, and interaction with colleagues.'
Employees were also told, according to people present, that attendance at the after-hours mixers was expected.
For the first night, employees were given two vouchers for food and two for drinks at an indoor-outdoor restaurant-bar near downtown Denver with beach volleyball and other games. No drink vouchers were given for the second night, but attendance was, once again, expected at a pub in south Denver where Krasley and dozens of other Center employees attended.
Arrests, expenses caught attention of key senator
Nearly four months after the training, the string of arrests became public and caught the attention of Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who sent a letter to Colon in February seeking answers about considerations that went into the center's hiring of the vice officer. Among the revelations was that during the hiring process, the center had been made aware of internal investigations into Krasley while he worked at the force, but hired him anyway.
'You conceded that this was 'concerning information' but hired him nonetheless after being unable to ascertain additional information,' Grassley said in an April letter to the center seeking follow-up.
The case, Colon explained to Grassley, had been based on statements from an alleged victim who later recanted.
The center hired Krasley in April 2021. On Sept. 5, 2024, it said in a letter to the senator, it became aware of two of Krasley's arrests – one in 2019 for allegedly stealing money seized in a drug bust he participated in, another in June 2024 for harassment, using lewd language and other charges.
That revelation came four days before most of the center's 133 employees, many of whom work remotely across 33 different states, descended on Denver for a week's worth of training sessions based at agency headquarters.
'This decentralized model is necessary based on the scope of our work and budget,' the center said in its email to AP. 'As such, the annual event is important as it brings together the entire team for training, wellness, collaboration, and team building.'
In a follow-up letter to April Holmes, the board chair who became interim CEO after Colon's departure, Grassley pinpointed the center's $390,000 travel budget in 2023 as among some 'expenses that seem excessive for a non-profit organization.'
Holmes responded, explaining 'as an organization with national jurisdiction, travel is critical to executing the Center's mission.'
Changes were made at center following Krasley's dismissal
After the Krasley episode became public, the center took a number of steps, including:
—Commissioning a third-party law firm to audit cases Krasley resolved, and working with experts in trauma-informed care to make sure those who interacted with him receive appropriate communication and support.
—Enhancing its code of ethics and adding an ethics clause to all letters offering employment.
—Strengthening hiring practices, including ensuring each final candidate for a job meets with the CEO for a final interview.
—Requiring checks of the National Decertification Index, which keeps track of certificate of license revocations relating to officer misconduct.
This culminated with the firing of Colon in April. Last month, the center held a series of seven community outreach programs with athletes, survivors and Olympic sports leaders.
The center said it has also informed employees of mental-health resources available in the wake of Krasley's arrest 'and has notified staff of both internal and independent mechanisms for reporting any concerns related to the investigator.'
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