Roberto Alomar responds to Toronto Star investigation, says he will ‘not engage in a trial by media’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/05/2021 (1664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
One day after the Star published new sexual misconduct allegations against Roberto Alomar, a lawyer representing the former Blue Jays all-star sent a written statement saying his client “intends to address these allegations in the appropriate forum . . . and will not engage in a trial by media.”
On Friday, the Star published an account from 25-year-old Melissa Verge, who said that in 2014, when she was an 18-year-old volunteer at a kids’ baseball camp run by the Blue Jays, Alomar offered her a private clubhouse tour and then rubbed his body against hers without her consent. Verge said he later explicitly propositioned her for sex.
Verge said she informed a team official about the incidents at the time, but that official — Rob Jack, who is no longer employed by the Blue Jays, but is a personal friend of Alomar’s and is currently the president of Alomar Sports Inc. — did not report the incidents or inform any other team officials, according to the Jays.
In response to questions from the Star, the Jays said they had launched an investigation into Verge’s allegations.
Alomar’s lawyer, Carita Wong, said in her written statement that the organization has not contacted Alomar regarding that investigation.
“However, Mr. Alomar wishes to fully participate in any investigation conducted by the Blue Jays, and looks forward to responding to the allegations through the appropriate process and proceedings.”
Verge’s allegations are separate from those that led Major League Baseball to permanently ban Alomar from any affiliation with the league or its teams on April 30, following their own investigation into sexual misconduct allegations made by a “baseball industry employee.” Subsequent to MLB’s decision, the Jays cut all ties with Alomar, whose name will be removed from the club’s “Level of Excellence” at the Rogers Centre.
Sources told the Star that the allegations investigated by MLB are far more serious than what has been alleged by Verge.
The Star also reported on Friday that while MLB was investigating Alomar earlier this year, the Jays were conducting their own investigation into additional allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” by Alomar involving a third woman.
The Star sent Alomar and Jack detailed questions regarding Verge’s allegations more than a week before Friday’s article was published. They provided no response. The statement sent by Alomar’s lawyer on Saturday did not address any of those questions.
Correction — May 31, 2021: This article was edited to correct Melissa Verge’s age. She is 25.
Brendan Kennedy can be reached at bkennedy@thestar.ca. Follow him on Twitter: @BKennedyStar