(Quebec) The Minister responsible for Sport, Isabelle Charest, is “deeply shocked” by the newspaper’s revelations The rightwhich revealed Thursday that racialized hockey players playing in a sports-studies program in Gatineau had been victims of several violent and racist events during the 2021-2022 season.
“This is completely unacceptable. Such actions must not be tolerated, neither in a hockey locker room nor anywhere else. We are working hard to offer our athletes an ever healthier and safer environment,” said Ms.me Charest Friday in a written statement sent to The Press and published on X.
According to The rightwho obtained a report dated December 2022 commissioned by Hockey Quebec on the recommendation of the Complaints Officer, a young player who played with the Intrépide de l’Outaouais, in the M15 AAA category, was forced to pronounce the words ” I can’t breathe » in order to be freed by one of his teammates who held him on the ground, one knee resting on his neck. These words referred to the event leading to the death by asphyxiation of George Floyd in the United States.
The report obtained by the Outaouais daily also reveals that two racialized teenagers from the Gatineau hockey team were the targets of racist comments from six players. During the 2021-2022 season, they endured the “N” word, monkey noises and comments referencing slavery. These players who were the target of racist comments left the hockey team and the sports-study program after these events, says The right. The bullies, for their part, would have been suspended.
Drainville evokes a red line
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Minister of Education Bernard Drainville
While unveiling a plan to combat violence and bullying at school on Friday, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, qualified the actions described by The right “completely unacceptable”.
“The anti-violence and bullying plan that must be put in place by each school must include actions to prevent this type of behavior and to ensure that it is managed well. [Il faut] make the offending students understand that what they did is immensely serious,” he added.
Quebec will also send all schools a uniform template for updating anti-violence plans. Mr. Drainville does not rule out the possibility that a “red line” will be drawn concerning certain violent acts which would, if committed, lead to the exclusion of programs such as sport-studies.