Province plans to set up disciplinary body for complaints against youth sports coaches

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This article was published 06/03/2025 (209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government has proposed legislation to set up an independent body to record and investigate complaints about abuse and other forms of maltreatment of young athletes.

The Protecting Youth in Sports Act lays the groundwork for a third-party disciplinary structure for children and coaches, as well as a future registry of individuals found to have engaged in misconduct.

It requires Sport Manitoba to establish a “safe sport policy” that requires affiliates to adopt and carry out in rinks, courts and pitches across the province.

Such policies must require coaches to obtain written permission from a parent to host a young athlete at their residence, among other expectations.

“This bill furthers our government’s commitment to a safe and equitable sport system, free from racism, where every child knows they have the right to play,” Sport Minister Nellie Kennedy told the house Thursday after introducing Bill 21.

The legislation defines maltreatment as physical, sexual or psychological abuse, neglect or grooming for the purpose of sexual abuse.

Discrimination on the basis of gender identity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation and disability, among other forms, is also listed as a type of maltreatment.

Following question period, Kennedy told the Free Press that Sport Manitoba has engaged in a contract with a national organization that will handle complaints.

Manitoba coaches and team managers must already complete Respect in Sport, a three-hour course that contains seven modules covering bullying, harassment and related topics.

Kennedy said it’s “incredibly important” to enshrine safe sports policies into law to further protect youth, including her 15-year-old son who has played on numerous hockey and football teams.

“It has more teeth,” she said, adding a new independent disciplinary model will complement the court system.

Ex-football coach Kelsey McKay is serving 20 years in prison for grooming and sexually assaulting student-athletes during his tenure at both Vincent Massey Collegiate and Churchill High School.

McKay, 54, sent underage players inappropriate text messages, hosted hot tub parties and insisted on watching pornography with some of his students.

He gave players sexual massages and touched their genitals, among numerous acts during which he abused his position of power and the prestige that came with his championship-winning record.

Last summer, the once-celebrated trainer pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault and two counts of luring involving a total of nine victims.

The former PC government requested all school staff complete mandatory training on sexual abuse prevention. The May 2022 directive was issued one month after McKay, whose inappropriate behaviour went unchecked for years, was first arrested.

Employers were given the option to run either the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Commit to Kids course or Respect in School.

The training is now a requirement to become a certified teacher or clinician, owing to regulatory changes that came into effect in November.

Education Minister Tracy Schmidt introduced a complementary bill on Thursday that requires school boards to establish appropriate interaction policies and mandate all staff and volunteers to complete sexual abuse prevention and school sport abuse prevention programs every four years.

Members of the public can report allegations of misconduct involving teachers through a new disciplinary system and registry that came online in January.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca