Former Vancouver Olympic head John Furlong has vehemently denied allegations of physical abuse leveled against him Thursday in a Vancouver newspaper, and says he plans to respond with legal action.

Speaking with lawyer Marvin Storrow at a press conference, Furlong offered a strong denial about the accusations, which date back to his time teaching physical education to First Nations children in Burns Lake, B.C. in 1969.

“I categorically deny absolutely any wrongdoing and I believe that the RCMP in looking into this matter will discredit the complaint entirely because it just did not happen,” Furlong said.

“Because of the gravity of the situation, I encourage the police to continue to investigate the allegations and especially how they were arrived at.”

READ: Full transcript of Furlong's prepared remarks

The article in question, published in the Georgia Straight, claims that eight people signed affidavits alleging they were mentally and physically abused by Furlong while students at the Catholic Immaculata Elementary School. They claim they were slapped and kicked.

One of the alleged victims, Ronnie Alec, spoke to CTV News over the phone.

“He always kicked from behind. Even the Chief will talk about it. He got a kick in the butt too by him.”

In a shocking allegation of his own, Furlong stated that some of the claims had been brought to his attention previously, prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, with an offer that “for a payment it could be made to go away.”

“As such, I reported this to the police,” Furlong said of the alleged blackmail attempt.

Furlong, who is now the executive chair of the Vancouver Whitecaps, also claimed no one at the Straight had called him to validate the explosive story. But author Laura Robinson stated in her article that she sent multiple emails to Furlong through his lawyer Marvin Storrow, and received no response. The Straight also posted a response to Furlong’s statement on its website. It claims:

“[Robinson] also attempted without success to reach Mr. Furlong through his publisher, Douglas & McIntyre. Ms. Robinson was told that Mr. Furlong had ‘nothing more’ to say to her,” it read.

At his press conference, Furlong also alluded to previous, potentially adversarial interactions with Robinson.

“Having experienced this reporter on many occasions in the past this feels very much like a personal vendetta,” he said.

Robinson’s CV, available online, indicates she has been a freelance journalist for almost 20 years and authored five books on issues of sports. It also says she contributes work regularly to the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, the Village Voice and numerous other publications.

The reporter confirmed for CTV News that one of Furlong’s alleged victims did ask for money, but stated that she did not interview that individual for her article.

Her Straight article suggested Furlong had skimmed over his time in Burns Lake in his book Patriot Hearts, in which he tells an oft-repeated anecdote about his arrival to Edmonton in 1974 as a jumping off point for his Canadian experience.

He told the same story to CTV News on multiple occasions, including in an Oct. 19, 2010 interview.

“I put my passport in front of the customs office and he looked at me and asked what I was going to be doing,” said Furlong, who was arriving to teach high school in Prince George.

“As he handed me back my passport he said to me, ‘Welcome to Canada. Make us better.’”

Furlong addressed that charge, stating that his book focused on his involvement in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and he did his “best to include elements that contributed directly to the build up and delivery of the Games.”

“I have friends in Burns Lake. Been there many times since. I have spoken there. I visited the community with a First Nations delegation prior to the Olympics, and brought the Olympic torch relay through the community, all without incident,” he said.

Furlong declined to answer questions from reporters following his prepared remarks.

Shortly after the conclusion of the press conference, Mounties confirmed they are investigating . None of the allegations has been proven.