Gee-Gees Men’s Hockey Team Class Action Settlement Approved

The University of Ottawa has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit with former Gee-Gees men’s varsity hockey program over the manner in which it handled sexual assault allegations against two players in 2014.

The Ontario Superior Court approved the Gee-Gees sexual assault settlement last week.

The Gee-Gees class action lawsuit was filed in 2015 after the University of Ottawa suspended the men’s hockey team due to sexual assault allegations lodged against some of the players following a game against Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in Februrary 2014.

Some team members were reportedly involved in a sexual assault against a female Lakehead University student. Police notified administrators at Lakehead about the alleged sexual assault, which reportedly took place off campus and did not involve any Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey players.

According to TheFulcrum.ca, the sexual assault allegations were not reported to the U of O until Feb. 24, 2014, after the hockey season had ended.

The Gee-Gees men’s hockey team was immediately suspended and, following an internal investigation, the suspension was extended to the entire 2014-2015 season. The head coach was also fired after the investigation showed that he knew about the alleged sexual assault but attempted to deal with the matter internally.

The sexual assault allegations were reported to the University of Ottawa by a third party, according to The Fulcrum.

The University of Ottawa justified its decision to suspend the Gee-Gees men’s hockey program in order to rebuild it with new coaches, policy improvements and new behaviour guidelines.

On Aug. 27, 2014, U of O president Allan Rock released a statement about the suspension in response to a Globe and Mail editorial critical of his stance.

“We value the discipline and leadership that sports can teach,” he wrote. “But when a team’s leadership falters and its behaviour embarasses the university community, it is time to pause and regroup.”

After a six-month investigation, the Thunder Bay police charged former team captain Guillaume Donovan and former assistant captain David Foucher with sexual assault in August 2014.

Donovan and Foucher were found not guilty of the charges in June 2018, following a 10-day trial.

In 2015, plaintiff Andrew Creppin filed the U of O Gee-Gees sexual assault class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and 21 teammates. He says the University of Ottawa tarnished the reputations of the hockey players who were not charged with sexual assault.

The University of Ottawa class action lawsuit sought $6 million in damages.

According to the Gee-Gees class action lawsuit, the president of the University of Ottawa knew or should have known who the two accused hockey players were and that his decision to suspend the entire Gee-Gees hockey team cast a “dark shadow of suspicion over all of the team players.”

The Gee-Gees hockey players say they suffered in many areas of their lives because of the suspension. According to the Gee-Gees class action lawsuit, many players experienced anxiety and harassment. They say their grades suffered and they were prohibited from attending athletic functions.

Some of the hockey players were reportedly not allowed to attend their graduation ceremonies, and some report that they lost summer jobs. They say they fear their future success has been negatively impacted by the university’s decision to suspend the entire team for the actions of the two accused players.

“Sexual assault is a serious crime, but since offenders carry a huge stigma, it is particularly important to maeke sure that innocent people aren’t accused,” attorney Lawrence Greenspon said.

According to CBC.ca the university settled the class-action suit out of court and will pay the former players a total of around $350,000.

On Friday, March 27, the University of Ottawa hockey sexual assault class action settlement was approved by the Ottawa Superior Court.

“The U of O entered into the settlement with members of this class action suit because it believes it is in the best interest of both parties, particularly concerning the costs involved for both sides,” the University of Ottawa said in a press release.

The University of Ottawa says that the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team class action settlement is not an admission of liability. The university agreed to settle the class action lawsuit after “taking into account the extensive burden and expense of litigation,” according to the press release.

The suspension on the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team was lifted prior to the 2016-17 hockey season.

More information about the Gee-Gees hockey team class action settlement was not immediately available.

Do you think the University of Ottawa did the right thing by suspending the entire Gee-Gees men’s hockey team after the sexaul assault allegations? Tell us your opinion in the comment section below! 

Class Members are represented by Lawrence Greenspon.

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