A father has received a temporary ban from attending his child’s hockey matches as part of his penalty for verbally harassing a young referee at a hockey game in Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S., earlier this year.
The 40-year-old man faced a mischief charge related to the incident that occurred at the Eastern Shore Community Centre during a minor hockey game in February. Last week, he accepted a peace bond in Dartmouth provincial court, resulting in the dismissal of the criminal case. One of the conditions of the agreement is that he is not allowed to be present at any Hockey Nova Scotia games or events for four months.
Crown prosecutor Carla Ball stated, “In this instance, it is a suitable resolution given the fear experienced by the referee.” The incident had forced a halt in the hockey game in February, with the young referee needing police escort due to being verbally assaulted by a parent in the crowd, described as “hate-motivated” by the RCMP at that time.
Although the charge was mischief, Ball emphasized that any racism allegations are taken seriously by Crown prosecutors and are seen as aggravating factors. She refrained from discussing the specifics of the case as it had not been tried in court. The man declined to provide a comment to CBC News.
Under the peace bond terms, which are an alternative to a criminal conviction, the man is also required to refrain from contacting the referee or the referee’s family for a year. Additionally, if he attends a minor hockey game after the four-month ban and the same referee is officiating, he must leave the arena, as per Ball.
Ball emphasized the importance of parents setting positive examples for children, especially in youth sports settings. She believes that the man’s punishment, which includes missing four months of his child’s hockey season, will communicate that such behavior is unacceptable.
Todd Thomander, director of officiating for Hockey Nova Scotia, previously mentioned to CBC News that about 30% of referees in the province quit after their first year due to mistreatment by spectators.
