04/02/25 07:51:00
Printable Page
04/02 19:49 CDT SafeSport knew of allegations against former cop before hiring
him as investigator
SafeSport knew of allegations against former cop before hiring him as
investigator
By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
People at the U.S. Center for SafeSport knew a former police officer was the
subject of an internal investigation for sex crimes at his former job but hired
him anyway, according to details released Wednesday by Sen. Chuck Grassley, who
is looking into the matter.
Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter
this week to the center's CEO, Ju'Riese Colon, asking more questions about why
the organization hired Jason Krasley as an investigator even though it had
knowledge of his potential legal trouble.
"You conceded that this was ?concerning information' but hired him nonetheless
after being unable to ascertain additional information," Grassley wrote to
Colon, who had revealed that information to the senator in response to his
original request in February, which stemmed from reporting by The Associated
Press about Krasley's arrests.
"I find this deeply troubling," Grassley wrote.
Krasley has been charged with multiple sex crimes, including rape, sex
trafficking and soliciting prostitution, from episodes that occurred during his
time at the Allentown, Pennsylvania, police department, and before he was hired
by the center in 2021.
The center, which investigates sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports, fired Krasley
in November, two months after learning of his initial arrest for allegedly
stealing money the Allentown police vice team had seized in a drug bust. Later
came Krasley's arrest for sex crimes and, in June 2024, an arrest for
harassment that was resolved in December.
Grassley's letter recounts what Colon wrote to him: that one of Krasley's
references during the hiring process "shared with you that he was the subject
of an internal investigation by the Allentown police department." The case, the
letter said, was based on statements from an alleged victim that the person
later recanted.
The center provided the AP with its response to Grassley, dated March 14, in
which Colon writes that the case has triggered several changes in the center's
vetting process. Under the new rules, she wrote, "this disclosure would have
raised a red flag and prompted additional scrutiny into the alleged conduct
that led to the internal investigation."
Colon outlined enhancements of the center's code of ethics and the addition of
an ethics clause employees must adhere to. She said she is now personally
interviewing all final candidates for jobs and that the center plans to
contract with an outside consultant to review its recruiting and hiring process.
She also said the center now checks the National Decertification Index (NDI),
which keeps track of discipline related to officer misconduct.
The center's letter said Krasley handled 124 cases, including 15 involving
minors. He had 15 open cases when he was terminated.
The center said there were no complaints of sexual misconduct while Krasley
worked there.
The ex-cop is free on bail awaiting trial. His attorney has asserted his
client's innocence in the sex-crime cases, which date to 2015, most recently
calling them "meritless and uncorroborated allegations from drug-addled and
impaired prostitutes."
The center has also hired a third-party firm to reach out to people whose cases
were handled by the former cop.
That carried potential to retraumatize victims, one of whom, Jacqui Stevenson,
told the AP the center's outreach about a case that had long been resolved
triggered "a total panic attack."
In her letter, Colon explained that the two-month delay in firing Krasley was
because of a concerted effort not to take steps that would compromise the
criminal investigation --- reasoning that did not sway Grassley.
"I imagine you appreciate that impressions regarding SafeSport's judgment in
hiring and firing decisions impact impressions of SafeSport's ability to
properly investigate and resolve allegations of misconduct in the sports
community," Grassley wrote.
Grassley sent a separate letter to the center's chair, April Holmes, saying
there "appears to be a lack of oversight by the Board to adequately supervise
the CEO ... and other officers and directors in their duties to the
organization."
The senator questioned whether an increase in funding --- something Colon has
asked for --- from its current budget of around $21 million a year would solve
its problems, some of which he suggested are rooted in the complex nature of
resolving sex-abuse allegations.
He said "there is concern that SafeSport is not prioritizing serious sexual and
child abuse cases over other cases, which is causing more serious cases to
languish without proper investigation."
There was criticism of the center's spending, including its $2.4 million in
billing for legal services in 2023.
Also, Grassley pointed out $50,000 on dues and subscriptions, $36,000 on bank
fees and credit cards and more than $390,000 on travel, all "expenses that seem
excessive for a non-profit organization and financial decisions that seem
counter-productive to the organization."
Grassley asked Holmes to answer a series of questions, including how the board
determined salaries for executives, including Colon, who made more than
$400,000 in 2023, which included a $58,000 bonus.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
|