Coach of Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team Suspended amid Drone-Spying Allegations at Paris 2024 Olympics

The Canadian Olympic Committee said assistant coach Andy Spence will lead the Women’s National Soccer Team for the remainder of the Games

Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team head coach Bev Priestman has been suspended after one of her staff members was allegedly caught operating a drone to capture footage of another team during practice, according to officials.

The Canadian Olympic Committee announced on Friday, July 26, that Priestman was “removed” from the Canadian Olympic Team after her “suspension” by Canada Soccer amid the allegations.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer CEO & General Secretary Kevin Blue shared in a statement in a press release.

“In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Soccer Team Head Coach, Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review,” Blue concluded his statement.

Related: See the Most Amazing Photos of the Full Moon Inside the Paris Olympic Rings on the Eve of the Games

Canada Soccer’s assistant coach Andy Spence is set to take over the Women’s National Soccer Team for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following Priestman’s suspension, according to the release.

This comes after New Zealand’s Olympic Committee (NZOC) issued a statement on July 23 that a drone was flown over its soccer team’s training session in St Etienne the day prior. The team said that they reported the incident to police and that the drone operator, who was “identified as a support staff member of the wider Canadian Women's football team,” was “detained.”

The team said it “formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit” and also “asked Canada for a full review.” The NZOC and New Zealand Soccer team said in a statement that it was “committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Team USA's Ice Skaters Will Officially Get 2022 Gold Medals During Paris Summer Olympics

Priestman sat out during Canada’s game against New Zealand on Thursday, July 25, according to NBC News, after releasing a statement saying that her decision to do so was "to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity."

She also issued an apology in a statement, saying, per NBC News: "This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Defending Olympic champions Canada beat New Zealand in the opening Group A match 2-1.

Two other Canada Soccer staff members, coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi, also sat out during the match and were sent home, according to NBC News and USA Today.

The Canadian Olympic Committee said in a separate statement, per NBC News, that the Canada Soccer staff would undergo "ethics training."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.