Gymnastics Canada publicly lauded coach who was fired after multiple complaints

TSN Senior Correspondent

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At 6:40 am on May 31, 2019, Gymnastics Canada chief executive Ian Moss sent an urgent and confidential email to the organization’s seven board members, explaining that he was about to fire veteran coach Alex Bard.

In his email, which was recently provided to TSN by a source, Moss wrote he had received numerous formal and informal complaints about Bard and that the coach had not changed his behaviour despite repeated attempts to “educate him.”

“This confidential note is to inform you that I will be meeting with Alex Bard later today to inform him that I am removing him from the post of National Team Coach…” Moss wrote.

“This decision is as a result of both formal and informal complaints that I have received over the past two weeks in respect to Alex’s behaviour in his official capacity with Gymnastics Canada; the nature of these complaints is consistent with issues that we have discussed with Alex in the past and, it appears, our efforts to caution and educate him have not worked. As such, the gravity of the situation is at a level that I must remove him from his role.” Moss also wrote he worried about Bard’s health.

“I know that this will be a shocking turn of events for Alex himself and I am a bit concerned about his well-being – this is why I am travelling to Toronto to deliver the news directly to him with the understanding that he will have family close by should anything happen. Unfortunately, the gravity of the complaints, and the consistency of his behaviour make it impossible to consider any further efforts to temper his behaviour or educate him further – we have certainly tried many times.”

But days later, when Bard’s exit from Gymnastics Canada was announced publicly,