.JPG;w=960)
Hockey Canada is rightly in the hot seat over its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, specifically a general slush fund available for un-insured out of court settlements.
In May, the national organization which generates millions from minor hockey fees and government allocations, settled a disturbing civil case with a payout after eight male junior hockey players (several of which were on the 2018 national junior team) were accused of sexually assaulting a female.
Some would say it was a cover-up with a strong scent of misogyny. Others might view it as a financially prudent and humane saw-off to avoid a long, costly trial that would be difficult for both the accuser and the accused – regardless of verdict.
Drilling further down into the issue, among the questions raised is whether the culture of the organization and sport aligns with modern values and propriety. Let’s not forget the high-profile cases of sexual misconduct, racism and criminal harassment involving coaches. We have no idea, apparently, of how bad the problems are when cash is used to put a lid on things before they boil over into the public arena.
I’m not convinced hockey is unique when it comes to these issues, although it’s such a prevalent part of so many Canadian lives it often appears disproportionately flawed.
I’ve been involved at the local association level as a board member and we did deal with instances of physical abuse and discrimination allegations. It’s not always cut and dry about what course of action is best for all involved. There does exist a grey area where resolutions can be found outside of legal faceoffs. To be clear, though, none of the sport executives I’ve been part of dealt with such serious issues as sexual assault allegations.
As a union executive, I’ve also experienced the process that follows issues of various levels of seriousness and witnessed mixed results.
What I’ve learned, through board-level dealings and research into case studies plus following media coverage, is that organizations must manage allegations promptly and inclusively with those directly involved.
There is no grey area when it comes to acting quickly to ensure you’re providing a safe work or play environment. The rights of the accused must be protected but not to the potential detriment of others. The key is to address the issue immediately and follow it to whatever conclusion is required.
In North Bay right now is a case brewing where an organization didn’t act upon an initial complaint and may not have acted quickly enough on a subsequent issue. I’ve talked to people who are adamant improper process led to a potential second female victim of the same male. Eventually the local media will be forced to follow the case with names and details. It has all the makings of a local #MeToo example.
My gut tells me there is some validity to this particular situation yet experience tells me to not hasten judgement.
In the meantime, every member of a board, director or manager might want to brush up on their own harassment and misconduct policies and procedures. You might also want to flip through the criminal code when it comes to the responsibilities entailed when someone working at your organization, member of it, client or vendor divulges concerns or complaints about individuals.
I’ll give you a hint and say it’s not ideal to ignore it and hope things work out without active mitigation.
Unlike Hockey Canada, you want to complete internal investigations and document every step of the way toward either a resolution or delineation of authority (call in the police when appropriate).
Things get worse when left to fester and it’s not a good look when someone else beats you to the police – you end up in the bad light of nurturing entitlement, propagating abuse and further victimizing the person who has come forward.
Many of the problems in the world today stem from the uncertainty of fact and causation. There is a lot of pressure to pick sides and declare your personal opinion on complex and quickly evolving issues when crucial information isn’t known. COVID, #MeToo, Amber Heard and ‘Republicans’ are teaching us to be less than certain we have the whole story right away. Things change.
Former President Donald Trump is losing faithful followers with each new revelation at the hearings over the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The latest COVID variations don’t care if you have natural immune response, vaccination-sparked immune response or both. And this one likes to go deeper into the lungs with multiple re-infections expected to take a long-term toll. While it would be nice if there was a vaccine that provided more than protection from serious illness and stopped infections, public health might want to add mandatory exercise and healthy eating habits to its masking and isolation edicts.
Personally, I never recommend believing anybody merely based on what they say happened. Liars come in all sexes and classes. The Amber Heard and Johnny Depp slander trial further bolstered my opinion.
As for Climate Change, I can't hear the deniers over the air conditioners breaking bearings in the U.K., American midwest, Canadian Prairies and oven-like countries around the world. As for effective mitigation, I doubt electric cars will get us anywhere quick.
All the above should give you pause to delay a final verdict on most things, even if you believe one way or another. It makes for more civil conversation with those who have made a determination and you don’t have to reconcile with wrong down the road.
It’s probably not a bad idea, however, to act as if you might be wrong or someone else is right.
The jury might be out but you can always hedge your bet.
PS: If it’s safe to gather indoors next week, I’m organizing a dinner and show at Moose’s Cookhouse Thursday, July 28. There are two sittings at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Musicians include Esther Pennell, Jude Zappala and Gary Davison with me as comedic host. Message me directly for details. We won’t be packing the place too tight, lots of space and airflow but if it feels like a poorly timed super spreader event, we’ll pull the plug and I’ll refund tickets sold. I’m thinking of adding a 10 p.m. open mic for uncensored stand up comedy. There’s already an open mic that night at Lou Dawgs starting at 7 p.m., so it might be an interesting yet rare second-stage opportunity for the local and visiting chucklers. My comedy for the dinners will be what we call ‘dry bar’ in that the topics and language won’t make you choke on a chicken wing but I’ll probably want to let loose a bit afterward.
Dave Dale is a veteran journalist and columnist who has covered the North Bay area for more than 30 years. Reader responses meant as Letters to the Editor can be sent to [email protected]. To contact the writer directly, email: [email protected] or check out his website www.smalltowntimes.ca
