Photo by Sabrina Nemis
The University of Ottawa and its president Allan Rock have filed a notice of motion seeking to strike the $6-million lawsuit by former U of O hockey players, according to the Ottawa Sun.
The court documents do not specify the grounds for the motion, and the university did not want to comment further on the lawsuit.
Rock and the university have not filed statements of defence, but they have filed documents showing they intend to fight the suit. The motion will be heard in June, if it proceeds as scheduled.
The U of O suspended its men’s hockey team following an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Thunder Bay last March by two members of the team during a road trip. The university recently extended the program’s suspension for the upcoming season.
Thunder Bay police charged two players, Guillaume Donovan and David Foucher, with sexual assault last August. Those charges have not been proven in court.
Members of the former hockey team, none of whom have been charged with sexual assault, initiated the class action lawsuit against the university on Jan. 13, claiming that the team’s suspension has permanently tarnished their reputations.
