U of R coach fired following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward female athletes
A former University of Regina coach has been fired following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward female athletes.
Wade Huber was the head coach of the U of R Cougars cross country and track and field teams.
The University of Regina told PKBNEWS in a statement that he was suspended in September 2022 and after an internal investigation it was determined that he crossed several lines and his employment ended in October 2022 .
Athletics Canada has also opened an investigation into allegations relating to its conduct involving a number of female athletes it coached between March 2013 and July 2022.
“Athletics Canada requires that all members and participants in the sport of athletics otherwise governed or sanctioned by Athletics Canada adhere to and respect the principles of athlete protection and prevention of abuse and conduct themselves with the highest level of ethical conduct which includes fairness. , dignity, courtesy, personal responsibility, honesty, integrity, respect and doping-free sport,” states the report by Athletics Canada Commissioner Hugh Fraser, released September 14.
According to the report, a complaint was filed with the police station on October 17, 2022.
In total, six allegations were made against the former coach.
One of the allegations involved “ma*saging female athletes in training when experienced trainers were available to carry out this task,” the report said.
Another allegation concerned the nature of the relationships Huber developed with four female athletes. He allegedly showed preferential treatment towards this group of athletes.
“These athletes would have been teenagers and young adults at the time, and evidence of text messages exchanged, long phone calls late at night, asking them to babysit, be closer to their families and go at their home for meals clearly blurs the lines between what is acceptable in a coach/athlete relationship and what is not,” the report states.
Fraser said in the statement that “while there is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Huber’s behavior involved s****l misconduct, Athletics Canada’s code of conduct and policy highlight the danger of such conduct with the following statement: “Physical preparation is often a slow, gradual and increasing process of establishing trust and comfort with a young person.
The report also states that a whistleblower accused Huber of taking inappropriate photos of female athletes.
“This is a very serious allegation and would clearly amount to a breach of the Code of Conduct 2021. The witness who discovered this photo had no ill will towards the respondent but was nonetheless upset by what she had seen by chance on his phone. I find on the balance of probabilities that Mr. Huber engaged in the conduct described in this allegation,” the summary states.
The report also noted an allegation involving a “consensual kiss between Huber and someone who had previously been a teammate.”
The allegation was dismissed because at the time, Huber was not in a position of authority over this teammate and she had the “required capacity to consent,” the report states.
Two other allegations involving drunkenness at the racetrack were also dismissed.
“I am not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that he was in fact drunk during training. These two allegations of violations of the Code of Conduct are unfounded,” the report states.
The report says the former coach made some athletes uncomfortable with inappropriate comments he made about female athletes’ body parts as well as their clothing, including their bras.
The signed report determined that Huber’s conduct violated his responsibilities under the Athletics Canada 2015 Code of Conduct and Ethics and constituted grooming, psychological abuse and s****l violence under the Athletics Canada Code of Conduct. Athletics Canada 2021 to prevent and fight against mistreatment in sport.
Fraser also warned coaches to avoid crossing the line that exists between athletes and coaches.
“These results should serve as another warning about the risk coaches run when they get too close to their athletes. You can be a caring, effective and efficient coach without crossing any boundaries,” the press release states.
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