Youth football organizers fumble harassment, sex allegations, father says

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This article was published 23/10/2016 (2735 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg father has thrown a flag, accusing youth football organizers of “gross incompetence” in fumbling a disturbing incident involving his 15-year-old daughter and a teammate after a game last month.

“Our issue is that Football Manitoba and the league have done absolutely nothing,” Joel McDonald says.

RCMP are investigating allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault alleged to have occurred following a Midget Football League of Manitoba game in Stonewall on Sept. 24. Formal complaints were filed with the league and with Football Manitoba, the sport’s provincial governing body. Midget football is played by youths between the ages of 15 and 17.

McDonald’s daughter Isabelle, a member of the Interlake Thunder, reported that she was sexually harassed by four male players from the opposition Falcons Football Club while she was putting equipment away in the team’s storage facility. A female teammate who came to her aid was also harassed and was sexually assaulted by at least one of the boys, Joel McDonald said.

“At the time, (Isabelle) was afraid because she was somewhat alone,” he said. “It was just her and the four of them at that point. She wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“They started chirping Isabelle, asking if she was going to come over, and (saying) ‘nice ass,’ and the other girl witnessed this and intervened and then they started going after her, he said. “It got pretty aggressive and at a point in time, one of them grabbed her butt or patted her butt, there was unwanted contact.”

McDonald said Isabelle and her teammate, who does not want to be named, have identified the boys involved by their jersey numbers, as they were still in uniform.

‘They didn’t take it seriously’

McDonald, who recused himself from the matter as club president, said it appears Football Manitoba hasn’t investigated.

“The incidents themselves are bad enough and need to be handled,” he said. “Our issue is that Football Manitoba and the league have done absolutely nothing.

“Finally on Friday, after they were approached by another media outlet for comment, they’ve reached out to us (the football club) asking for our version, which is shocking, to say the least. They didn’t take it seriously. It’s a combination of gross incompetence on the league’s part and (the fact) the executive director of Football Manitoba is no longer employed by (the organization).”

An email sent to Football Manitoba executive director Dale Jacobson bounced back with an automatic response indicating he is no longer working there.

“Football Manitoba has been made aware of allegations raised by the Interlake Thunder and Falcons Football Teams. Football Manitoba is assisting the Midget Football League of Manitoba in reviewing allegations from both teams,” Football Manitoba president Brett Lesperance said in an email to the Free Press.

“We take these allegations very seriously as we believe in a fair, safe and fun football environment for all of our membership. It would be inappropriate to comment any further on these allegations at this time.”

‘I’m just here to play football’

Isabelle, who has been playing football for five years, including the past three on teams with boys, said the incidents were “really upsetting.”

“I was really shocked. I knew some guys would say that but I didn’t think they would say it to me in that kind of circumstance. I’m just here to play football,” she said. “They even have a girl on their team that plays, so I was really surprised they would even think about saying those things to me.”

“They even have a girl on their team that plays, so I was really surprised they would even think about saying those things to me.”-Isabelle McDonald

Past president Mitch Obach, acting club president for this matter, said early indications from the league and Football Manitoba were the two organizations didn’t want to investigate the complaint because the RCMP were involved.

“My position the entire time, on behalf of the club, is aspects of your (league and Football Manitoba) bylaws were breached and it is your responsibility to look into this,” Obach said.

“Most recently they said, ‘We don’t have any details to investigate something,’ so we’re in the process of giving them quite a number of details and pointing out where we think there were infractions of bylaws and so on as a result,” Obach said. “It (investigation) should have happened weeks ago but if it does happen, then that’s a positive step, at least.”

Obach said the Interlake Thunder Football Club has girls playing at all five age levels in the fall season. It also has two all-female football teams that played in the Manitoba Girls Football Association, which runs in the spring — a senior team (ages 13-16 that Isabelle played on, and a junior team (ages 9-12). The junior team won a championship title last June, a first for the Thunder organization.

“As a club, we’re a newer club and a rural club. I don’t know that we have some of the population draw that some of the urban clubs have, so we have to encourage whoever’s interested to play football,” he said, noting the Thunder football club is in its sixth year as an organization. “If we didn’t have girls playing football, we would have a hard time fielding teams at some age groups so we strongly encourage them to participate.”

The club and Isabelle’s family would like to see those involved held accountable to make sure nothing like this happens again.

“Things have been said on the field but she’s never experienced anything like this before,” McDonald said. “Isabelle’s not expecting to be some trailblazer that we all have to be politically correct on the football field, but this happened half-an-hour (after the game) and it’s indicative of the (opposition) coaches’ attitudes and the players’ attitudes towards women.”

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca