The University of Ottawa (U of O) has suspended its men’s varsity hockey program for the 2014-15 season and fired the head coach of the team, U of O president Allan Rock announced June 25.
The university will also be implementing new policies such as behavioural guidelines to better manage hockey and other sports teams at the school by September 2014.
Rock announced the news following the completion of an internal review launched by the university.
The review began after the school reported information it had received Feb. 24 regarding allegations of misconduct during the team’s road trip to Thunder Bay from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 to Thunder Bay police. Two independent experts in the subject of managing sports teams conducted the review.
The internal review was completed on June 13, according to U of O spokesperson Caroline Milliard, but results were released June 25.
According to a statement released by U of O, Steven Gaon, an independent investigator, also made interviews related to “allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct,” that influenced the university’s decision to suspend the team.
“We believe there’s something wrong with the program,” said Rock. “We’re putting rules in place, trying to ensure this thing never happens again.”
While the head coach was not involved in the incidents, Rock said the coach is being relieved of his duties because he failed to report the incidents to university authorities when he first became aware of them.
“The coach was aware of the events within the hours following the events in question,” said Rock. “[He] took action on his own but he didn’t inform the university authorities.”
Thunder Bay police has said that it has finished its investigations and that it is currently being reviewed by the Crown. They expect to release an announcement in the next few weeks.
With files from Alexa D’Addario
