News Article: GMBG Caught Up in Lawsuit from Pittsburgh Days

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206

I'm failing to see why?

Because the organization didn't want bad PR? They took the appropriate action. They fired the coach that committed the sexual assault within a week of being notified. The assistant coach who's wife was assaulted continued to coach there for another year until he was recently released due to covid (which BG would have had nothing to do with, as he was the GM of the Wild at the time).
 

HotDish

Win it for Hynes
Aug 17, 2020
2,478
1,424
The State of Hockey
I'm failing to see why?

Because the organization didn't want bad PR? They took the appropriate action. They fired the coach that committed the sexual assault within a week of being notified. The assistant coach who's wife was assaulted continued to coach there for another year until he was recently released due to covid (which BG would have had nothing to do with, as he was the GM of the Wild at the time).
Would you get bad PR for firing someone that sexually assaulted someone? I would argue people would commend an organization to taking a stand and acting quickly. I feel like bad PR comes form the organizations that try to dismiss bad behavior *cough* Coyotes *cough*

The only part I don't understand from this article is why did Guerin say be quiet? It sounds like they launched an investigate right away and fired him, but saying be quiet about sexual harassment is 100% the wrong move to do in that situation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 57special

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206
Would you get bad PR for firing someone that sexually assaulted someone? I would argue people would commend an organization to taking a stand and acting quickly. I feel like bad PR comes form the organizations that try to dismiss bad behavior *cough* Coyotes *cough*

The only part I don't understand from this article is why did Guerin say be quiet? It sounds like they launched an investigate right away and fired him, but saying be quiet about sexual harassment is 100% the wrong move to do in that situation.

Bad PR may not be the right phrase, but I think it's a situation where as an organization they decided they'd rather handle it in house as opposed to in the news. I'd suspect they didn't want to spend the draft/free agency answering questions about a sexual assault they weren't responsible for. I'm sure BG didn't come to that decision alone, but as the Wilkes/Barre GM he was the one to deliver the message.

I guess I don't see why every bad act by an employee of an organization, that was handled appropriately, needs to play out in the news.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MK9

GuerinUp

Registered User
Aug 1, 2009
4,067
1,199
Columbia Heights, MN
Would you get bad PR for firing someone that sexually assaulted someone? I would argue people would commend an organization to taking a stand and acting quickly. I feel like bad PR comes form the organizations that try to dismiss bad behavior *cough* Coyotes *cough*

The only part I don't understand from this article is why did Guerin say be quiet? It sounds like they launched an investigate right away and fired him, but saying be quiet about sexual harassment is 100% the wrong move to do in that situation.

well the article states the assault is yet to be proven. so that may be the protocol on alleged assaults
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206
well the article states the assault is yet to be proven. so that may be the protocol on alleged assaults
I don't think the assault is in question really. I suspect Donatelli admitted the details of the story when first confronted and was canned ("resigned").
 

MuckOG

Registered User
May 18, 2012
15,575
5,612
I'm no legal expert, but I would guess its SOP for any organization or business to not want to have their employees comment publicly on what are considered personnel matters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GuerinUp

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,099
19,805
MN
I'm assuming that Guerin was acting on the advice of lawyers. Still, it's a very, very, bad look. Keeping quiet about sexual predators is what has destroyed Scouting, harmed the Catholic Church, and created uncounted amounts of unecessary victims.

I find it odd that the women wouldn't speak up when a man is assaulting her while her husband is in the front seat, though. Maybe she didn't want to cause problems with her husbands boss, maybe she was drunk , too, but if someone is touching my wife's breast and vagina she'd be screaming her head off.

This will bear watching. If what is alleged is true, then it could be a career ender for Guerin.
 

Minnesnota

Registered User
Apr 20, 2017
2,266
1,028
Denver
Big fat nothing-burger.

Trying to wrap up Guerin in any of that drama is just exhausting.

When the Skalde's finally got around to reporting the alleged assault 7 months after it happened, Donatelli was fired 7 days after the Penguins were notified. Book closed.

No use getting wrapped up in bullshit.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,099
19,805
MN
If Brodin chooses Bieber or Taylor Swift for his goal song, it will create an existential crisis for me. My sons will be laughing their heads off at me.

The part that Guerin is on the hook for is not the firing, but telling Skalde to not say anything. That might be the lawyerly thing to do, but in today's climate it's exactly the wrong thing to do, and have your name attached to. It gives the appearance that you are making light of sexual assault, and passing the buck by firing him without giving a reason publicly, allowing him to go somewhere else and offend.
 
Last edited:

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206
I'm assuming that Guerin was acting on the advice of lawyers. Still, it's a very, very, bad look. Keeping quiet about sexual predators is what has destroyed Scouting, harmed the Catholic Church, and created uncounted amounts of unecessary victims.

I find it odd that the women wouldn't speak up when a man is assaulting her while her husband is in the front seat, though. Maybe she didn't want to cause problems with her husbands boss, maybe she was drunk , too, but if someone is touching my wife's breast and vagina she'd be screaming her head off.

This will bear watching. If what is alleged is true, then it could be a career ender for Guerin.

Doubt it. Don't think we'll ever even hear him comment on it. Maybe a "We can't comment on pending litigation".
 

MuckOG

Registered User
May 18, 2012
15,575
5,612
As others have said, I don't see how Guerin has any culpability here. Once he was told about it, the coach was fired within a week. On top of that, BG had nothing to do with terminating the assistant coach because he was already with the Wild by then.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,099
19,805
MN
The Pens will also be on the hook if it revealed that they knew about previous incidents involving this coach, and did nothing about.

Sexual predators thrive out of the limelight. Not going public with their actions allows them to offend further. It's an old, and very ugly, story.

Again, I don't know the facts of this story. This is a lawsuit, and not a criminal case?
 

grN1g

Registered User
Nov 11, 2009
2,912
224
Minnesota
If true the keep quiet comments are scathing but he was an assistant to the GM, the chances BG is acting on his own without being told what to do by someone higher up is less than none imo.
 

HotDish

Win it for Hynes
Aug 17, 2020
2,478
1,424
The State of Hockey
If true the keep quiet comments are scathing but he was an assistant to the GM, the chances BG is acting on his own without being told what to do by someone higher up is less than none imo.
The only thing that throws a wrench is this is that Guerin as the assistant GM he was in charge of being the GM for the AHL team. I would argue with AHL issues he would the top voice in the room.
 

GuerinUp

Registered User
Aug 1, 2009
4,067
1,199
Columbia Heights, MN
I think a big question to ask involving this story, is if this event actually happened, why were police not involved? The story states right away that it hasnt been proven, its been years since the alleged date and just breaks out shortly after the coach was released from Pittsburgh? seems off. Not saying its false, but if i was still married and my wife was sexually assaulted by anyone you can guarantee I would have police involved that day.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,099
19,805
MN
Guerin was the GM of the AHL club in question, but I agree that the stink might go higher than him. Again, this is NOT what you want the GM of your team to be associated with. The old school, "keep quiet, and we'll take care of it" response to sexual assault doesn't fly any more.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think this is going to turn out well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HotDish

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,099
19,805
MN
Skalde's are saying that Donatelli admitted it, and the Pens firing him within 7 days after finding out about it would indicate that they believed the incident happened.
 

Odie Cleghorn

Registered User
Jun 8, 2020
2,048
875
I'm failing to see why?

Because the organization didn't want bad PR? They took the appropriate action. They fired the coach that committed the sexual assault within a week of being notified. The assistant coach who's wife was assaulted continued to coach there for another year until he was recently released due to covid (which BG would have had nothing to do with, as he was the GM of the Wild at the time).
They didn't fire him. They let him resign. If the Skalde's can prove that their were previous complaints about Donatelli then there should be some people fired. His actions should have been made public so he can't continue that behaviour. If there were no previous complaints then Guerin couldn't do anything unless there was proof of what Donatelli allegedly did to Skalde's wife.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HotDish

HotDish

Win it for Hynes
Aug 17, 2020
2,478
1,424
The State of Hockey
I think a big question to ask involving this story, is if this event actually happened, why were police not involved? The story states right away that it hasnt been proven, its been years since the alleged date and just breaks out shortly after the coach was released from Pittsburgh? seems off. Not saying its false, but if i was still married and my wife was sexually assaulted by anyone you can guarantee I would have police involved that day.
statute of limitations for this is 180 days. This wasn't reported until 7 months later which would be around 200+ days. I still don't know if this means the police can't get involved, but IANAL.
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206
They didn't fire him. They let him resign. If the Skalde's can prove that their were previous complaints about Donatelli then there should be some people fired. His actions should have been made public so he can't continue that behaviour. If there were no previous complaints then Guerin couldn't do anything unless there was proof of what Donatelli allegedly did to Skalde's wife.

Distinction without a difference. "You can resign or be fired".

I personally don't think it's the private corporations responsibility to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, and cover every adverse personal move in the media.

That's the legal systems. If the Skalde's didn't want to file a police report, that's their decision.
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,521
4,206
statute of limitations for this is 180 days. This wasn't reported until 7 months later which would be around 200+ days. I still don't know if this means the police can't get involved, but IANAL.

The statue of limitations mentioned at 180 days was specifcally to be considered a whistleblower. I would doubt statue of limitations on sexual assault is 180 days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HotDish

HotDish

Win it for Hynes
Aug 17, 2020
2,478
1,424
The State of Hockey
The statue of limitations mentioned at 180 days was specifcally to be considered a whistleblower. I would doubt statue of limitations on sexual assault is 180 days.
It probably varies by state too. I was do a quick Google and it looks like to make claims for a lawsuit it is 180 days.

Criminal statute of limitations i assume is longer seeing in some places like LA it is 3 years.

This is what they say for claims:


In order to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, you must first file a written complaint with your company, according to its internal procedures. If your employer fails to act on your complaint, you have the right to file a discrimination charge with the EEOC. The agency requires that you file your complaint within 180 days of the last incident of sexual harassment, so it is important for you to act promptly when you have been the victim of workplace sexual harassment.

Futher down they include Pennsylvania which days PA is 300 days.


What Is The Statute Of Limitations For Sexual Harassment Claims?.
 

grN1g

Registered User
Nov 11, 2009
2,912
224
Minnesota
I guess what it really boils down too is do you think BG is a wrong and morally incorrect type of person who is unwilling to learn from his past mistakes if this is true?

Feels like we wouldn't be defending or picking a reason to defend if this wasn't our GM. Weird situation cause I dont want BG canceled.
 
Last edited:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad