A federal judge earlier this month rejected a request from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to dismiss a lawsuit from a former high-ranking official that alleges the organization fired him in retaliation for his whistleblowing activity.

At the same time, U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney denied a related request from plaintiff William Moreau to dismiss the USOPC's own legal claims against him. The committee alleged Moreau took the organization's confidential information in violation of state and federal law, which he then used in his lawsuit.

In response, Moreau invoked Colorado's "anti-SLAPP" law, which stands for "strategic lawsuits against public participation." The law, enacted in 2019, contains protections against liability for people who exercise their rights to free speech or to petition the government. Moreau believed the USOPC's counterclaims amounted to retaliation for his own suit against the organization.

In her Nov. 18 order, Sweeney permitted the USOPC to continue with its case against Moreau, but cautioned that the committee's allegations may ultimately fail upon future consideration of the evidence.

"The Court harbors doubts that all of USOPC’s counterclaims will survive the factual challenges brought by Dr. Moreau. At this time, the Court merely concludes that USOPC has met its minimal burden," she wrote.

The USOPC, whose headquarters in Colorado Springs, is chartered under federal law to coordinate activity surrounding...

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