A report from the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual assault investigation reveals that the organization’s internal practices were inadequate. The team has been fined for not enforcing proper internal procedures.
The report also shows text messages between Aldrich and a “John Doe” that are deemed inappropriate. It also shows that Quenneville was not aware of the allegations until this summer.
Chicago Blackhawks fined for inadequate internal procedures
The Chicago Blackhawks were fined $400,000 in June for their inadequate internal procedures after a sexual assault report surfaced in 2014. An investigation by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar found that the Club’s ownership and current top executives were not aware of the incident before the lawsuit was filed. The lack of accountability in the matter highlights the Club’s lack of accountability.
A former Blackhawks player, who is not identified, filed a suit alleging sexual assault against Aldrich. The player alleged that the team failed to investigate the allegations against him and that Aldrich forced him to engage in sexual acts by threatening to ruin his hockey career. The suit states that the Blackhawks did not act after learning about the sexual assault until three weeks after the allegations were filed.
Investigation revealed text messages sent by Aldrich to John Doe 1
A Michigan police report details the criminal sexual conduct that Aldrich committed. He was originally charged with a felony but pleaded to a misdemeanor and still had to register with the state’s sex offender registry. He allegedly picked up a troubled 16-year-old boy and engaged in “sexual relations” with him at the boy’s apartment and in a neighboring town. The boy allegedly had four to five beers and a mixed drink during the party.
Al MacIsaac, Stan Bowman, and Joel Quenneville all resigned from their positions after the report was published. The Blackhawks publicly released their investigation of Aldrich in 2010, which resulted in the firing of Stan Bowman, the GM of the team. In addition, the NHL fined the team $2 million. Kyle Beach, the player who is now known as John Doe, revealed that Aldrich had sexually harassed him while working as a video coach.
Quenneville unaware of allegations until this summer
Quenneville, who was the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks when the allegations were made, maintained innocence until this summer. Despite these claims, he continued to enjoy a successful NHL career. However, Beach, the team’s GM, said that there is no way Quenneville could have known about the allegations before they were made.
Quenneville and Bettman are set to meet on Thursday to discuss the alleged sexual misconduct. The two coaches will discuss what happened during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. Quenneville was the head coach of the team when the allegations against Aldrich first surfaced.
General manager and vice president of operations step down after report
In light of the recent sexual assault report filed against the Chicago Blackhawks, the team’s general manager and vice president of operations have stepped down. According to sources, the two men met with club executives to discuss the issue. The meeting was attended by assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Joel Quenneville. McDonough reported the incident to the team’s human resources director. He later notified the league’s director of human resources. The two men were offered a choice between being investigated and stepping down. Aldrich ultimately chose to resign.
After the meeting with Aldrich, Bowman and MacIsaac resigned. They were the last members of the upper management group. McDonough was fired by the team in April 2020. Blunk and Gary will both retire in 2021.
Owner Rocky Wirtz and son Danny Wirtz under investigation by SafeSport for mishandling unrelated sexual assault allegation
A town hall held by the Chicago Cubs was supposed to be the latest step in the franchise’s reputation repair. However, during the town hall, a reporter interrupted Wirtz, the son of team owner Rocky. Rocky told the reporter, “get off the subject.” After the town hall, Rocky Wirtz apologized for his remarks. His team reached out to the media, but this outburst is still shocking.
According to a report by the Independent Review Panel (IRC), Wirtz and his son Danny Wirtz were aware of the allegations before the lawsuit was filed against them. But they didn’t act on it. The team’s lawyers reached out to the player’s attorney, Susan Loggans, on Tuesday and scheduled a conference call to discuss the situation.
