Teen files complaint against Hockey Quebec over alleged racist taunts

A minor hockey league player who says he was repeatedly subjected to racial slurs is filing a complaint against Hockey Quebec.

Aiden Chase, 16, and his mother are filing the complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission.

“We want change,” said Chase. “It’s not just to single out a single person. We want change in Hockey Quebec’s system. Not even just Hockey Quebec but all sports.”

Chase says he’s been called the N-word twice on the ice while playing under the Lac St. Louis league.

During a game last December, a player from the opposing team allegedly used the slur, leading to a brawl on the ice involving players and coaches.

The player reportedly received an 8-game suspension and was later granted a hearing to appeal the decision.

Chase was invited to testify at the hearing in January, when the N-word was allegedly said two more times by a witness.

“That was even more like a trigger,” said Laurie Philipps, Chase’s mother. “It bothered us because it showed that they just didn’t care, and they didn’t want to do anything about it.”

Chase and his mother are calling for several policy changes, including mandatory anti-racism training and more diversity amongst Hockey Quebec board members.

The Centre for Research Action on Race Relations (CRARR) is helping the pair file the formal complaint.

“You know, there’s a lot of emphasis these days in talking about hazing and sexual violence in hockey. Now we want racism to be acknowledged as an equally important issue,” said CRAAR's executive director Fo Niemi.

In an e-mail to CTV News, Hockey Quebec said it would not comment on the case. However, it says it has been working to educate hockey officials about defamatory language on the ice.