Weekly Rights Digest (July 7-July 13)

8 July 2024

Ex-Quebec junior hockey players jailed for sexual assault of teen at hotel in 2021

Canadian Press

Keywords: Sexual Assault, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Quebec

"Two former Quebec junior hockey players have been handed jail sentences for sexually assaulting a minor at a hotel in June 2021 in the aftermath of a Victoriaville Tigres championship celebration. Nicolas Daigle, 21, was sentenced to 32 months in jail, and Massimo Siciliano, 21, was given a 30-month sentence." Read More

10 July 2024

Another court postponement for teacher, coach, accused sexual predator Markus Hicks

Tara Bradbury, The Telegram (St. John's)

Keywords: Sexual Assault, Newfoundland, Volleyball, Child Pornography

"Hicks, a 33-year-old high school teacher and volleyball coach, is facing 213 charges, many of them related to sexual violence involving youth. He has pleaded not guilty to 87 charges and elected a trial by provincial court judge, which is scheduled to start at the end of the year. His most recent charges were laid by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary last month, and include 63 counts of identity fraud, sexual assault and child pornography offences." Read More

10 July 2024

Montreal girl barred from karate class over hijab, Human Rights Commission says

Jessie Feith, Montreal Gazette

Keywords: Islamophobia, Hijab, Quebec, Karate

"A Muslim family says a Montreal karate centre barred their 12-year-old daughter from attending her class after she opted to begin wearing the hijab. The Quebec Human Rights Commission is seeking $13,000 in damages for the family..." Read More

11 July 2024

Un climat toxique chez Cyclisme Canada

Jean-François Racine, Le Journal de Québec

Keywords: Discrimination, maltraitance, sexisme, Quebec

Un rapport d’enquête brosse un portrait dévastateur de Cyclisme Canada, où règnent au sein de l’organisme sportif de la discrimination, une « culture du silence » et une perception de toxicité qui auraient engendré « une profonde méfiance envers la haute direction ». savoir plus

12 July 2024

Island junior hockey player found not guilty of sexual assault

Roxanne Egan-Elliott, Victoria Times-Colonist

Keywords: Hockey, Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, Sexual Assault, Acquitted, British Columbia

"The judge said, however, he found inconsistencies between the teen’s statement to police shortly after the incident and her testimony in court, saying she manufactured 'exaggerated and false narrative details' based on speculation. 'I want it clearly understood that I’m not making a positive finding that the alleged sexual assault did not happen. But the evidence leaves me with significant uncertainty about which parts of the complainant’s evidence can be counted on as reliable,' he said." Read More

Weekly Rights Digest (June 30-July 6)

1 July 2024

NHL reinstates Bowman, Quenneville, MacIsaac after ban for mishandling Chicago sex assault scandal

Stephen Whyno, Associated Press

Keywords: Sexual Assault, NHL, Hockey, Illinois

"The NHL lifted its ban on longtime coach Joel Quenneville and executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac on Monday, clearing the way for their return to the league more than two years after they were punished in the fallout from the Chicago team's sexual assault scandal. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville can sign contracts with an NHL team after July 10"...Read More

2 July 2024

NHL teams aren't re-signing players accused of sexual assault during their Canadian world junior days

CBC News

Keywords: Hockey Canada, Sexual Assault, Hockey, Ontario

"Four NHL players charged with sexual assault in an incident stemming back to their days as Canadian world junior champions have not been re-signed to their respective teams. Dillon Dubé, formerly with the Calgary Flames, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote with the New Jersey Devils, and Carter Hart with the Philadelphia Flyers were all on leave with pay. They'll now be free agents after the Sunday signing deadline passed"...Read More

4 July 2024

London youth baseball league takes new step to screen out abusive parents

Noah Brennan, London Free Press

Keywords: Verbal Abuse, Parents, Baseball, Ontario

"Trying to protect young umpires from verbal abuse by parents, a London kids baseball league is using screen-like banners at ballfields to obscure the view of home plate from the bleachers. The idea came from other Ontario leagues that have taken similar steps to prevent parents from yelling at umpires, many of whom are just kids themselves between the ages of 13 and 14, a spokesperson for the board of the North London Baseball Association said"...Read More

4 July 2024

Foul c. Club de soccer Boucherville, 2024 QCTAT 2280 (CanLII)

Tribunal Administratif du Travail

Keywords: Soccer, Emploi, Harcèlement Psychologique, Quebec

<<Mourad Foul, le plaignant, a travaillé pendant douze ans comme directeur technique au Club de soccer Boucherville, l’employeur ou le Club. Prenant appui sur la Loi sur les normes du travail[1], la LNT, il dépose une plainte pour congédiement sans cause juste et suffisante et une plainte pour harcèlement psychologique le 5 octobre 2020. Il prétend avoir subi du harcèlement psychologique de la part de membres du conseil d’administration du Club à compter de l’automne 2017, ainsi que du directeur sportif à compter de l’hiver 2019, et ce, jusqu’à sa fin d’emploi. Il plaide aussi avoir fait l’objet d’un congédiement déguisé en licenciement dans le contexte d’une restructuration>> savoir plus

4 July 2024

Cambridge gymnastics coach's lifetime ban upheld in 'precedent setting' case, lawyer says

Kris Ketonen, CBC News

Keywords: Gymnastics, Maltreatment, Ontario

"A Cambridge, Ont., gymnastics coach who was banned from the sport last year over bullying of athletes has had an appeal of the earlier ruling denied by an arbitrator.

Gymnastics Canada permanently banned Elvira Saadi from working with athletes in November 2023. The decision came after an investigation into allegations of maltreatment by several athletes. Saadi appealed the decision this year through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada but a decision dated June 24 denied her appeal"....Read More

4 July 2024

Quebec equestrian coach charged with child luring, sexual exploitation

Joe Lofaro, CTV News

Keywords: Equestrian, Sexual Assault, Quebec

"A well-known equestrian coach from southern Quebec has been charged with multiple sex offences, including child luring and sexual exploitation of a minor. Quebec provincial police say they arrested Dorian Escalon, 31, on June 20 and that he appeared in court in Granby, Que. on Wednesday to face the charges. Escalon taught at Domaine Avalon in Sutton, about 100 kilometres southeast of Montreal. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a news release issued on Thursday that there could be other alleged victims." Read More

6 July 2024

Edmonton coach charged after teen girl reports sex assault at basketball camp

Edmonton Journal

Keywords: Sexual Assault, Basketball, Alberta

"The Edmonton Police Service has charged a 48-year-old basketball coach with sexual assault after a 16-year-old girl came forward with allegations in June. Earlier this year, the girl went to a basketball camp outside Edmonton, where the girl said the assault happened in a hotel, police said in a news release on Friday. She told police she had been encouraged to consume alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs bought by the man, before she was sexually assaulted"...Read More

Weekly Rights Digest (June 23-June 29)

25 June 2024

Appeal rejected, hazing abuse class-action lawsuit against QMJHL to go ahead

Pierre Saint-Arnaud, Canadian Press

Keywords: Hazing, Hockey, QMJHL, Major Junior Hockey

"The Quebec Court of Appeal has rejected a challenge to the authorization of a class-action lawsuit that alleges hazing abuse in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. In a decision Tuesday, Justice Sophie Lavallée said the appeal by the QMJHL, the league’s 18 teams and its umbrella organization — the Canadian Hockey League — did not meet the strict criteria needed to end the lawsuit"...Read More

25 June 2024

‘Fans need to take a step back’: Nova Scotia sports organizations unite with green armband initiative to support new, young officials

Jeremy Fraser, Cape Breton Post

Keywords: Referee, Verbal Abuse, Physical Abuse

"Wendell MacGibbon has officiated sports across the province for more than 50 years and during that time he’s witnessed a lot. From verbal abuse to physical violence, the New Waterford native has dealt with it all. One of the more memorable moments, and not for the right reasons, came several years ago when MacGibbon suffered broken ribs from a player after a soccer game"...Read More

26 June 2024

Ex-coach takes stand in sex abuse trial, denies molesting boys on Edmonton track team decades ago

Johnny Wakefield, Edmonton Journal

Keywords: Sexual Abuse, Track and Field, Alberta

"An ex-track coach has taken the witness stand to defend himself against claims he molested teen athletes in Edmonton more than 40 years ago. Thomas Kenneth Porter, a former sprinting coach with the Edmonton Olympic Club, began a Court of King’s Bench trial last week on charges he molested five boys in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He now faces counts involving just four complainants, after the Crown declined to call evidence relating to one of the alleged victims"...Read More

27 June 2024

NHL asks Ontario court to force Ken Dryden to hand over materials related to his book about Steve Montador

Gilbert Ngabo, Toronto Star

Keywords: Hockey, Head Injuries, CTE

"The NHL is urging the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to force Hockey Hall of Famer and author Ken Dryden to hand over “critically important” information related to the death of former defenceman Steve Montador. In an application filed last month, the league and its Board of Governors want Dryden to make available all the documents, audio or video recordings and other important material in his possession connected to the book he wrote on Montador"...Read More

28 June 2024

Nelson Soccer says players were racially abused at Idaho tournament

Tyler Harper, Nelson Star

Keywords: Soccer, British Columbia, Racism

"Nelson Soccer Association (NSA) says a person in a truck shouted racist threats at a team with players of colour during a game May 12. Multiple Nelson teams were visiting Coeur d'Alene at the time for an annual tournament. A detective with Coeur d'Alene Police Department told the Nelson Star that it had opened an investigation and has since sent the case to a local prosecutor for review, but did not offer any further details"...Read More

28 June 2024

R. c. Echevarria Perez, 2024 QCCQ 2986 (CanLII)

Cour du Québec

Mot clés: Leurre, soccer, Quebec

« Au moment des événements, en août 2020, la victime avait 16 ans, l’accusé en avait 53. Il occupait le poste de directeur technique du club de soccer d’une municipalité à l’extérieur de Montréal. La victime avait fait sa connaissance alors qu’elle pratiquait le soccer à ce club. Elle avait 10-11 ans. Elle l’a côtoyé davantage par la suite quand elle s’est impliquée à titre de « staff technique » et d’arbitre. Elle ne relevait toutefois pas de lui. Il n’avait pas de lien d’autorité sur elle. À l’été 2020, elle occupait un emploi d’étudiante à temps plein. Elle n’était pas impliquée dans le club de soccer ou très peu. Elle était toutefois en contact avec l’accusé via l’application de messagerie Messenger ».

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