Ted Nash, a two-time Olympic medalist and long time Olympic coach, had his honors rescinded by USRowing after an investigation found allegations that he sexually abused a teenager in 1973 credible Tuesday.
USRowing, a national rowing federation, began the investigation after Jennifer Fox, the alleged victim, contacted them in late 2022, the press release says. They note that “Nash’s inability to respond to these allegations” due to having passed away was “outweighed” by the seriousness of them.
“Having reviewed the investigation’s findings, USRowing believes there is compelling evidence supporting Ms. Fox’s allegations of child sex abuse by Mr. Nash. Regardless of Mr. Nash’s contributions to the sport of rowing, our commitment to the safety and well-being of our participants – especially youth athletes – is of the utmost importance and compels us to act in accordance with our values,” USRowing writes.
Statement on the independent investigation into Ted Nash: https://t.co/LeVQKCEjRT pic.twitter.com/4NffnXx2S4
— USRowing (@usrowing) April 30, 2024
Nash would have been 40 years old while Fox would have been 13 at the time of the alleged incident, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Nash had been awarded the 2005 Man of the Year award and a USRowing Medal of Honor in 2013, both of which the organization is rescinding among other awards, the press release reads. USRowing will not consider Nash for any future awards by their organization either. Nash died in 2021, the AP reported. (RELATED: Conrad Mainwaring Sentenced To 11 Years In Jail After Pleading Guilty To Sexual Abuse Charges: REPORT)
USRowing published the full investigation conducted by the law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP. The investigators emphasized that they were approached with a mandate to “independently investigate” the sexual abuse allegation but were not requested “to provide recommendations as to what USRowing should do in response to the investigative findings.” They also observed that they were not “tasked with seeking to determine the truth of Ms. Fox’s allegations beyond a reasonable doubt, by a preponderance of the evidence, or to any other specific legal standard of proof.”
Ted Nash was a member of the rowing team that won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, Boston University noted. Nash won a bronze medal in the 1964 Olympics, The Olympians reported.