Nolan's legacy: Quebec league sets discrimination policy

Some good has finally come from an ugly junior hockey incident this time last year that left Ted Nolan shaken and upset.

A member of Garden River First Nation, Nolan was taunted by Chicoutimi Saguenéens fans while he was coaching the Moncton Wildcats during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) game.

Racially offensive remarks and gestures were directed at the former Soo Greyhounds coach.

Representatives from the Saguenéens later apologized to Nolan.

On Wednesday, the QMJHL has announced the introduction of an anti-discrimination policy that applies to players, team officials and spectators.

Violations of the policy are subject to various penalties, including the ejection of fans from games, suspensions for players and team officials, and fines.

Nolan, a former Soo Greyhounds coach, is currently behind the bench for the much-improved New York Islanders.

The following is the full text of the new policy:

************************* Anti-discrimination policy of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

1. Preamble

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is committed to provide a sound environment in which every person participating to the activities and operations of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is treated with respect and dignity.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League entirely subscribes to these fundamental values under which every person has a right to a full and equal recognition and exercise of his human rights and freedoms without distinction, exclusion or preference based on race, gender, color, religion, language, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, handicap or social condition.

No discrimination shall be tolerated.

2. Objectives of the policy

- providing and enforcing an anti-discriminatory environment in which every person participating to the activities of the League shall be treated with respect and dignity

- preventing all forms of discrimination

- not tolerating any form of discrimination

- intervening in all cases of discriminatory conduct for which the league have been informed

- imposing appropriate sanctions to any person under the authority of the league who shall not comply with this anti-discrimination policy

3. Scope of application

This policy shall be applicable to all members of the personnel of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, including the officials, all the personnel (agents, officers, directors, managers, coaches, trainers and players) of each team member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and to all members of the public who participate as spectator or otherwise to an activity of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

This policy shall be applicable to all incidents of a discriminatory nature that may occur in the course of a hockey game of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League or outside the rink in the course of the activities of the League.

4. Definition

A discriminatory conduct is a hurtful conduct which may be expressed through behaviours, words, acts, gestures or writings, that affect the dignity and the honour of any person and that are made in relation with race, gender, color, religion, language, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, handicap or social condition of the person, or in relation to any other ground of discrimination prohibited by the law.

5. Principles

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is committed to apply an anti-discrimination policy based on a “zero tolerance” principle so that no discrimination shall be accepted.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League shall take the appropriate measures to dissimulate the main elements of its anti-discrimination policy.

Likewise, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League shall make all persons working for or participating to the activities of the League aware of the objectives of this policy.

It is the responsibility of every person subject to this policy to avoid behaviour that are discriminatory or that may be seen as discriminatory.

It is the responsibility for every team member of the League to take the necessary measures to enforce this policy, including as to situations where spectators attending the activities of the team have an unacceptable discriminatory conduct.

In case of violation of this policy, the imposition of any sanction shall be made in accordance with the procedures provided for in the regulations of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in disciplinary matters.

6. Sanctions

Any player, member of a team of the League, who violates the provisions of the anti-discrimination policy of the League, shall be subject to disciplinary measure by the Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Any member of the personnel of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League who violates the provisions of the anti-discrimination policy of the League shall be subject to a disciplinary measure including dismissal for cause.

Any member of a team of the League, (agents, directors, managers, coaches and trainers) who violates the provisions of the anti-discrimination policy of the League, shall be subject to a disciplinary measure by the Commissioner of the League (fine or suspension) according to the gravity of the discriminatory conduct.

Any team, member of the League, which violates the provisions of the anti-discrimination policy of the League, or which does not take the necessary measure to enforce the said policy, shall be subject to a fine for an amount determined by the Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Any person participating to an activity of a team member of the League, as spectator or otherwise, and who expresses a discriminatory conduct may receive a warning and even in some cases, according to the gravity or the repetitive nature of the reproached conduct, be expelled from the amphitheatre.

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