President of the Canadian Olympic Committee Marcel Aubut has resigned as president amid a sexual harassment investigation.
Since the original accusation towards Aubut, two other women have stepped forward with further claims against him bringing the total to three.
Follwoing Aubut’s resignation the COC said Saturday that the independent investigation run by François Rolland, former chief justice of the Quebec Superior Court, will cease.
None of the allegations against Aubut have been proven and no criminal complaint has been made thus far.
According to the CBC one of the women however has hired a lawyer after alleging that Aubut made repeated verbal comments towards her.
Aubut’s resignation comes after he temporarily stepped aside following the original allegation.
Aubut made his own statement Saturday saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those who may have been offended by my behaviour. I realize that my attitude could at times be perceived as questionable by some women and could have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I acknowledge this and will adjust my behaviour accordingly.”
Aubut concluded his statement by saying his resignation comes because he realizes the situation is a “major distraction” to the goals of the COC.
The COC also made a statement Saturday saying that, “the events of the past week are deeply concerning to us.”
They also stated that the situation has had, “a profound impact on our Olympic family.”
The COC also announced that their board will begin the process of appointing an interim president in the coming days.
The only thing missing from the statement is “I regret what I did, am sorry for the hurt that I caused the people whom I love, and I am hereby resigning to spend more time with my family.”