Skate Canada criticized for refusing to publicize coach’s ouster from Hall of Fame

TSN Senior Correspondent

Follow| Archive

After Skate Canada removed coach Kerry Leitch from its Hall of Fame in July 2021 following a complaint about his conduct, the organization refused a request to advise the public about the decision.

Instead, Skate Canada simply deleted a page on its website celebrating Leitch’s career.

The organization’s refusal to make its decision public stands in sharp contrast to how it handled Leitch’s induction in 2014, when Skate Canada issued a press release celebrating Leitch and honoured him at a gala event, a video of which is still posted on Skate Canada's YouTube page.

“We see this all the time with sports organizations. When there is scandal, they try to avoid public disclosure that shows the problems with the sport,” Rob Koehler, director general of Global Athlete, a Montreal-based lobbying group for athletes, said in an interview.

“If you have a coach who you have decided to remove from your Hall of Fame, you have to announce that publicly so it sends a strong message to everyone about what is not acceptable behaviour and how you will be held accountable.”

Leitch is the former president of the Preston (Ontario) Figure Skating Club and has coached 23 Canadian champions. His students have included Olympians Melinda Kunhegyi, Lyndon Johnston and Lloyd Eisler.

Skate Canada agreed to remove him from its Hall of Fame following a March 9, 2021, Safe Sport complaint about the 81-year-old, who has admitted slapping a former skating student in the face in 1998. Safe Sport is a term used by sport organizations in reference to having appropriate policies and procedures to prevent and address allegations of abuse.

“The complaint raised concerns that Mr. Leitch’s prior conduct, which was the