Racial slurs reported at Ottawa hockey game prompt investigations
The Ontario Women's Hockey Association is investigating after "inappropriate comments" were allegedly hurled from the stands at a game in Ottawa Saturday night.
Sources tell CBC News some parents yelled racial slurs and insults, including "Go home, Mohammed," at a referee on the ice.
The incident allegedly happened at the Tom Brown Arena where the Ottawa Ice and the Cornwall Typhoons were playing a peewee B-level hockey game.
Sources, who were at the game but spoke on condition of anonymity, claim the shouts came from the Cornwall side of the crowd.
They said the referee told all of the Cornwall parents to leave the rink or he would end the game. The parents obliged.
Fran Rider, president of the the Ontario Women's Hockey Association, says she's received multiple calls and emails.
"We do take situations like this very seriously," she said. "We commenced an investigation immediately and we have a very active investigation ongoing."
Rider would not go into detail about the alleged remarks, but said the allegations are disappointing and go against everything women's hockey stands for.
The association can take action against parents, including banning them from games entirely.
"Those are actions we have to take for the good of all the children and all the people who go to the games," she said.
She says the referee allegedly targeted is a veteran who has been with the league more than five years.
Rider says the referee has dealt with inappropriate comments like this before.
The Cornwall team says it has also launched an investigation.
