Loretta P. Merritt was quoted by The New York Times on the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal.
With Accusations of Abuse, Kyle Beach Forces N.H.L. to Confront Its Failings
The cultural problems of hockey seem to have met a moment that makes them impossible to ignore, and when consequences — however belatedly — are finally being meted out.
One day after an investigation commissioned by the Chicago Blackhawks publicly disclosed that the team’s top officials had ignored a player’s accusation of sexual assault by a coach during the 2010 playoffs, that player was revealed to be Kyle Beach.
Organizations that ignored or cover up reports of sexual assault are not unique to hockey. But these problems can be heightened in hockey, or in other sports that Loretta Merritt, a Canadian lawyer who represents victims of sexual abuse, described as the “more macho boys club kind of sports.” Merritt wondered if hockey’s culture made Aldrich, who has said his sexual contact with Beach was consensual, “think there is sort of more of a tolerance or willingness to turn a blind eye. Possibly.”
To read the full article, please visit The New York Times' website.