Oilers hire Stan Bowman as GM & EVP of Hockey Ops

[HugginThePost]

Are you seriously trying to say that nobody can report a crime other than the victim?

Yeah, that was an odd statement.

 

[Larry Hanson]

No. You can report whatever you want. I guess I was trying to say that it would be pointless if the adult victim of the sexual assault refused to be a part of involving the police and you did not witness it.

Well that's still wrong, although it would be hard to prosecute the authorities can lay charges even if the victim doesn't want to testify or cooperate. Regardless it might have prevented others from being victimized after.

 

[nucks88]

edit.....waste of f***ing time....

 

[Crow]

Well that's still wrong, although it would be hard to prosecute the authorities can lay charges even if the victim doesn't want to testify or cooperate. Regardless it might have prevented others from being victimized after.

I have never heard of, perhaps I’m ignorant to a charge being filed for sexual assault based on hearsay where the adult victim was unwilling to corroborate the statement. I could certainly be wrong.

 

[HugginThePost]

No. You can report whatever you want. I guess I was trying to say, in this case that it would be pointless if the adult victim of the sexual assault refused to be a part of involving the police and you did not witness it.

Who's to say? He was in a position of authority, he was making sexaul advances. A tiny bit of investigation could have preveneted him from going on and doing it to other kids.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Even if you put the whole Kyle Beech thing aside (which you really shouldn't), he's still a crap GM at the end of the day and thus a completely unnecessary hiring.

 

[HugginThePost]

I have never heard of, perhaps I’m ignorant to a charge being filed for sexual assault based on hearsay where the adult victim was unwilling to corroborate the statement. I could certainly be wrong.

I believer there can be if the person has "power" over them. In this case...."I'll keep you off the team" fulfils the prerequisite? But, I'm certainly not a lawyer.

 

[Crow]

Furthermore I would find it morally disgusting to take a sexual assault victim’s right to not pursue charges away from them.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

He did have his consequence. He was dragged through the mud on this and had to leave his team in disgrace. It's not like he was the abuser, and he was not even the top decision maker. He was told by his superior that the matter was dealt with. He definitely paid more than Toews, Kane, Keith and Cheveldayoff

I'd take his salary if it meant my name being "dragged through the mud" and that I got a 2 year vacation any day. Poor guy out here making millions but people on the internet are rightfully upset with him. Woe is him.

Guy got his job back at the very place he got fired.

Imagine if a line cook watched his coworker put rat poison into somebody's food they ordered, mentioned it to the boss and just allowed it to happen and then the person that got served that food ended up with long-term health issues. You really think any restaurant would re-hire the guy that willingly kept his mouth shut as he did nothing to prevent it? No. There'd be somebody else cooking for that business. Buddy got his job back and is still gonna be making millions over years. That's a real easy consequence to live with considering he could have prevented a teenager from being sexually assaulted.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

You are aware that Aldrich told everyone it was a consensual encounter when it was internally investigated right?

At that point in time, there was no evidence except someone's word against his. Which means it would have gone nowhere in court and you can't fire him with cause. Allegedly there were "I'm being witch hunted because I am Gay" threats too. Which is tricky.

We know years later that he eventually got caught in the acts and served time.

But at the time? You actually need proof or a confession, or a police complaint to take action(only Kyle Beach could file said report and he didn't). Failing that, you best bet is to get the employee to quit......which is exactly what they did.

You really think the NHL would allow those power dynamics in their policies? A coach engaging in sexual activity with a player? You wouldn't think that's something worthy of being brought up? Come on, man...

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Do you think all of the other GM's will even answer Stan Bowman's calls? Do you think anyone will want to do business with him?
Still can't believe he's a full time GM again. Unbelievable. For shame Edmonton.

Of course they will. Why wouldn't they?

 

[67 others]

You really think the NHL would allow those power dynamics in their policies? A coach engaging in sexual activity with a player? You wouldn't think that's something worthy of being brought up? Come on, man...

Which is I'm sure exactly what they told him when they talked him into resigning.

But on the criminal side, Beach needs to file a police report for anything more to happen

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I work in an office. If I got wind of this occurring and my boss said that, and a week later this dink is still working for the company, it's not one I would work for anymore. And I would be in the media. And I would be going above his head. So don't give me this nonsense.

Have you ever thought about it from Kyle Beach’s point of view? Did you ever consider that maybe he didn’t want this story becoming public either? Maybe that’s why he never pushed management more when they did nothing, or went directly to HR or even went outside of the organization. Maybe at the time he was good with Aldrich being gone and he just wanted to move on. The fact it took him a decade to file a lawsuit certainly suggest this might be the case.

If you went to the media and made it public and the victim got outed when they didn’t want the public knowing and they commit suicide because of it. Would you feel good about that?

 

[Crow]

Who's to say? He was in a position of authority, he was making sexaul advances. A tiny bit of investigation could have preveneted him from going on and doing it to other kids.

Sure in hindsight it may have, but to me, not legally but morally, I would be disgusted in myself for taking away a victim’s right to privacy after a sexual assault. That’s not a matter that I as a manager of an employee would feel entitled to decide for the victim. I don’t even think I would try to persuade the employee to take action. I don’t know what it’s like to be in that situation and even if I did I might not feel the same way as that person.

 

[JPT]

You are aware that Aldrich told everyone it was a consensual encounter when it was internally investigated right?

At that point in time, there was no evidence except someone's word against his. Which means it would have gone nowhere in court and you can't fire him with cause. Allegedly there were "I'm being witch hunted because I am Gay" threats too. Which is tricky.

We know years later that he eventually got caught in the acts and served time.

But at the time? You actually need proof or a confession, or a police complaint to take action(only Kyle Beach could file said report and he didn't). Failing that, you best bet is to get the employee to quit......which is exactly what they did.

It wasn't internally investigated. The Blackhawks did eventually hire an outside firm to handle an investigation, but that wasn't until 11 years later. The HR department offered Aldrich a chance to participate in an investigation, or they would allow him to resign. He resigned.

Have you ever thought about it from Kyle Beach’s point of view? Did you ever consider that maybe he didn’t want this story becoming public either? Maybe that’s why he never pushed management more when they did nothing, or went directly to HR or even went outside of the organization. Maybe at the time he was good with Aldrich being gone and he just wanted to move on. The fact it took him a decade to file a lawsuit certainly suggest this might be the case.

If you went to the media and made it public and the victim got outed when they didn’t want the public knowing and they commit suicide because of it. Would you feel good about that?

While you have what-ifs, we know for a fact that others were victimized, including a high school student, after the Blackhawks knew of the allegations against Aldrich.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Bowman can play the plausible deniability card all he wants, but it's clear as day what happened, and he played a significant role in all of it which led to more victims down the road (including one just two weeks after the meeting they all had). They knew they had a sexual predator on staff and they collectively decided to prioritize the well being of the franchise over the well being of their employees. It is sickening, and not a single one of those higher ups from that team should be allowed back in the NHL, but here we are just a weeks after reinstatement and the usual suspects are back scooping up the league's scum.

 

[FiveTacos]

If you went to the media and made it public and the victim got outed when they didn’t want the public knowing and they commit suicide because of it. Would you feel good about that?

Oh so now they did it all to protect the victim. What heroes, maybe Bowman should get a medal and a parade.

 

[JPT]

Oh so now they did it all to protect the victim. What heroes, maybe Bowman should get a medal and a parade.

Lol that has to be the worst excuse I've read yet. If they were thinking of the victim, they would have investigated it instead of sweeping it under the rug.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Even if you put the whole Kyle Beech thing aside (which you really shouldn't), he's still a crap GM at the end of the day and thus a completely unnecessary hiring.

So in a abyss, with no others options, extend Holland or hire Bowman?

 

[Crow]

Oh so now they did it all to protect the victim. What heroes, maybe Bowman should get a medal and a parade.

Some of the actions were taken to protect the victim, some actions were to protect the accused who had a right to defend himself, and to me, most was clearly done to protect the company. If you can’t be intellectually honest or lack the nuance to see things as ‘all or nothing’ you aren’t worth discussing much with.

 

[CF84]

How perfectly on-brand for the Oilers organization.

 

[FiveTacos]

Some of the actions were taken to protect the victim, some actions were to protect the accused who had a right to defend himself, and to me, most was clearly done to protect the company. If you can’t be intellectually honest or lack the nuance to see things as ‘all or nothing’ you aren’t worth discussing much with.

If you had the knowledge that you may be employing a sexual predator, then anything less than "we need to find out everything we can right now" is absolutely unacceptable. Sorry if I can't find the "nuance" in that.

 

[Crow]

If you had the knowledge that you may be employing a sexual predator, then anything less than "we need to find out everything we can right now" is absolutely unacceptable. Sorry if I can't find the "nuance" in that.

You still have a moral obligation to do it in a way that respects the victims wishes to remain private. That’s what the poster said and you decided to twist it into some weird shit that wasn’t there. No surprise to me you can’t find any nuance.

 

[Slats432]

I’m hoping Drai and McD refuse to stay now…I’d love it if they openly refused to play for Bowman and demanded trades out, letting everyone know why…won’t happen but would be great if a star player had the balls to do it

I think it a little naive that they wouldn't be looped in considering the team is doing everything they can to support them be extended.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Oh so now they did it all to protect the victim. What heroes, maybe Bowman should get a medal and a parade.

I didn’t say that at all.

I’m saying that given how everything unfolded it stands to reason that Beach didn’t want the public to know what had happened. Its pretty common for victims of SA to not want it to become public knowledge, especially for males and even more when it’s perpetrated by another male, which is why the overwhelming majority of SA against men go unreported.

I don’t believe Beach’s privacy had anything to do with the way they handled it, clearly protecting the finals run and the organization was top of mind for them. What I’m simply saying is that in these situations victim privacy should be a consideration and I think outing a victim who doesn’t want it to be public knowledge is a shitty thing to do.