The president of the Élites de Jonquière, whose coach resigned in the controversy last week, made remarks “unacceptable” and “not worthy of a person occupying [ce] position”, judged the Committee for the Protection of Integrity (ICC) in sport.
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“The CPI is of the opinion that Mr. Simard should have exercised restraint, regardless of the circumstances. […]“wrote the commissioners.
This is what we read in a decision of the CPI, of which our Investigation Office obtained a copy. Despite his reproaches, the members of the Committee rejected the complaint for threats filed by the president of Hockey Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Patrice Fillion.
Messages sent via social networks by Mr. Simard to Mr. Fillion were at the heart of the complaint. They had been written in the wake of complaints made by five players against Arnaud Dubé, coach of the Elites at the time, last season. Mr. Simard was also the subject of these complaints, but they were dismissed by the Committee.
Our Bureau of Investigation revealed last Thursday that Mr. Dubé would have made homophobic remarks towards his players in addition to encouraging them to injure themselves during training. He announced his resignation the same day.
“We’ll take care of you. […] I have some nice surprises for you,” Mr. Simard wrote to Mr. Fillion, according to the decision of the Committee, a copy of which our Bureau of Investigation obtained.
Lack of judgment
Mr. Simard admitted to being the author of the messages and to having “lack of judgment in the circumstances”, we read in the decision. He would have explained his actions by “his desire to defend the stakeholders of the Elites affected by the various complaints against them in recent months”, including those against Arnaud Dubé. He also alleges that Mr. Fillion wanted to interfere in the affairs of the Elites, in particular because his son was not retained by the team.
The CPI dismissed the complaint. Its three members deemed it inappropriate to take action against Michel Simard, in particular because Mr. Fillion would not have felt really threatened. Note that the Committee is not a court, but has the power to make recommendations.
According to the decision, Mr. Simard expressed “remorse” and acknowledged that his comments were “inappropriate”.
“Although the messages transmitted by Mr. Simard are unacceptable, the CPI is of the opinion that these are not real threats, but rather a very bad reaction to a situation which affected him deeply and which continued. long before the hearings before the CPI” ruled the members of the Committee.
Reached by our Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Fillion specified that “the situation is particular between the region and this organization”.
“Since the beginning of this story, they have been angry following our denunciations [visant notamment l’entraîneur]”, he added.
The management of the Élites de Jonquière refused our request for an interview.