WADA hires law firm to look into allegations of bullying and harassment within organisation by committee chair Beckie Scott

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Thursday it had hired a law firm to investigate accusations of bullying and harassment within the organisation after an initial probe was unable to prove any improper behaviour. [caption id=“attachment_4038133” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Beckie Scott, a Canadian Olympic gold medal cross-country skier and WADA’s athletes committee chair, accused members of the executive committee of making inappropriate comments and gestures during a September meeting in Seychelles when she opposed the reinstatement of Russia’s anti-doping agency. WADA conducted an external independent review and discussed the report at meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan in November but determined the findings did not conclude the alleged bullying had taken place. However, given the seriousness of the allegations, WADA decided a second investigation should be carried out and that the agency should seek legal advice. In a statement, WADA said the law firm Covington & Burling had “been given the mandate to conduct a full and thorough investigation of allegations of bullying and harassment, including interviews of the relevant parties”.