The Winnipeg minor hockey player was replaced Saturday for his team’s season finale after his parents filed a defamation lawsuit, claiming that members of the South Winnipeg Hockey Association (SWHA) board of directors were defendants.
The association decided to suspend the boy and his parents, Elena Russo Rusak and Corey Rusak, indefinitely, in all events related to the league on Thursday after they filed a claim statement against Hiten Shah, vice president of the Hockey Association, at the Kings’ class on Tuesday.
“It’s heartbreaking on many levels,” Russo Rusak said.
“It’s not even about hockey. Every kid should do what they want and should not be punished and used as pawns,” she said.
The lawsuit says the couple’s reputation was damaged and their character was damaged because Shah sent an email to 17 families on Dec. 23 that was “defamatory, untrue, and maliciously said” to demean Rusak and Russo Rusak.
Shah, included in his email in the lawsuit, the association investigated several issues raised by members of the team, including complaints involving the couple.
The email noted that Rusak and Russo Rusak served as assistant coaches and co-managers for the team, respectively, who used inappropriate language and threatened after the December 14 game.
According to Shah’s email, after interviewing three families present during the incident, it was discovered that parents were inappropriate, and both parents stood out in the team.
“They fired us publicly by emailing each parent,” Russo Rusak said. “We found out when all the other parents found out.”
Rusak told CBC that he called the coach after the game to “stop the bench kids” and yell at them, but he denied threatening or using inappropriate language.
“I’m working on keeping the kids safe, and that’s my job when you use these classes as an assistant coach,” Russack said.
CBC News has contacted Shah but no response. The allegations have not been tested in court and a defense statement has not been filled.
Suspension is not “slight”: SWHA
A few days after the lawsuit was filed, Steve Mason, president of the South Winnipeg Hockey Association, sent the couple a letter via email saying the association had decided to suspend them and their sons indefinitely from all activities related to the league.
“He should be playing now, it’s his last playoff game, not. He’s sitting on the couch himself, playing Fortnite now,” Russo Rusak said on Saturday afternoon.
By filing a claim statement, the couple violated Manitoba chapter of hockeyMason said in an email letter obtained by CBC. Under section 306(a), one of their members may suspend participation in any hockey activities and games indefinitely if they choose to take legal action before pursuing and exhausting the internal appeal proceedings.
Mason told CBC that there will be three separate two-hour meeTings (No Shah involved)Be picky about how to best solve the situation.
“We really don’t want to pause the kids because they aren’t involved, but we think it’s best for both the best parents and children to completely suspend school. We didn’t take it easy,” he said.
But Dave Hill, the attorney representing the couple, said that while the hockey agency may want to initiate an appeal proceeding before the lawsuit, he does not apply to the situation.
“It’s not an appeal to the decision, it’s not a decision to make it [about] “From my review of the documents, this is not the remark that you need to complete this appeal process,” he said.
The plaintiffs claimed that their reputation in the team community was damaged as a result of Shah’s emails, and “their character and integrity were weakened”.
The couple also claimed to be “moral and professional smear.”
Winnipeg Hockey and Hockey Manitoba declined to comment on the matter because it was before the court. Mason, who is too Won’t The association’s priority is that its direct comments on litigation are its volunteers.
He also said the team’s head coach tried to lower the situation after the game on December 14.
“We have hundreds of volunteers … we need to make sure we are protecting them and I think we have done the right thing,” Mason said. “Luckily, [the parents] Make a decision.
“It all comes down to protecting everyone involved, and in order to achieve that, we need to suspend the entire family. I’m not proud of it. I hope we don’t have to, but we have to protect everyone.”
“The system just failed him”
Hill said there was hatred between the parents and the association, but the consequences of what happened had a “destructive” effect on the boy.
“Their nine-year-old son was crying,” he said. “He was suspended indefinitely. Can you imagine? A nine-year-old.”
The couple is seeking apology and damages according to the claim.
“They had a tough time and eventually we wanted to move … to another hockey association,” Hill said.
But the couple said they had no confidence that it would happen soon, and at the same time, their son would continue to be outside the rink – leaving the family to consider moving to another watershed so he could play hockey.
“I don’t know what to do,” Russo Rusak said.
“I don’t know how to pick up his spirit because it’s rough for him.”
