Hockey exec suspended over slur about women
An Ontario minor hockey executive has been suspended and ordered to take ethics training after posting a slur online about Canadian women who joined a massive march in Washington, D.C., last month.
Windsor Minor Hockey Association president Dean Lapierre had apologized last week and said he “screwed up” when he made the comment on his personal Facebook page.
Lapierre, described by the association as a 30-year volunteer, wrote on Facebook (spelling/grammar errors included here) : “Any of those CANADIAN women who wanted to protest the president of the USA and got turned around. Good u dumb bitches. Worry about your own Country CANADA. And your protesting what?”
The Windsor Minor Hockey Association says in a statement that after consulting with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, it has passed a motion suspending Lapierre until the end of the 2016-17 season.
It says the motion orders Lapierre to take a workshop by the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Windsor and other training programs on respect and ethics when dealing with social media.
The hockey association has also demanded a written apology.
“The WMHA takes this matter seriously,” it said in a statement. “The WMHA will also update their Code of Conduct to reflect the behaviour that is expected of all WMHA volunteers in particular when using social media.”
The association said its board of directors will also participate in the workshop offered by the sexual assault crisis centre.
“Dean and the WMHA understand that as WMHA president, there is no separating the private individual from the public persona on social media and that he must be held accountable,” it said. “The WMHA board of directors will take the necessary steps to institute a cultural change for the betterment of the WMHA and its volunteers.”
Hundreds of Canadian women from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Windsor took part last month in the protest dubbed “Women’s March on Washington” in support of women’s rights. Many others made their way to the U.S. capital by car or plane.