U.S. Center for SafeSport suspends USA Badminton CEO, chairman

The CEO and board chairman of badminton's national governing body have been suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for their roles in a case in which an employee was allegedly advised not to report sexual abuse allegations against an influential figure in the sport and then was retaliated against when he did.

USA Badminton CEO Linda French was suspended for five years after what the U.S. Center for SafeSport described as a “thorough investigation” found “by a preponderance of the evidence” that she committed five violations of the SafeSport code, including two counts of failing to report child abuse and/or sexual abuse as required by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, discouraging Alistair Casey, the national governing body's SafeSport officer and chief of staff, from reporting that abuse and then firing Casey when he did, according to confidential SafeSport documents provided to the Southern California News Group.

The documents detail how French, a two-time Olympian and now a Floridabased immigration attorney, discouraged Casey from reporting allegations that two young athletes had been abused by two different coaches. The SafeSport documents also found that French allowed Jon Little, the federation's general counsel, to make claimants' names public in October 2021.

The report also said that Casey was fired at USA Badminton “due in part” to his reporting the abuse allegations to SafeSport.

USA Badminton's board chairman Ken Wong received a two-year suspension for retaliating against Casey, according to confidential SafeSport documents.

The SafeSport rulings were made this week.

French and Wong did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Casey declined to comment. Casey proceeded to report the allegations to SafeSport and the case and Little's role attracted Congressional attention and criticism. Casey later alleged he was fired as retaliation for reporting the allegations. USA Badminton secretly paid Casey $1 million in a settlement.

Little, who recently represented former Cal swim coach Teri McKeever in her case with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, filed a defamation case against Casey in U.S. District Court in Indiana in September.