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TSN Senior Correspondent

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The Greater Toronto Hockey League confirmed Wednesday it is hiring an independent investigator to probe claims by one of its players that he was routinely targeted this season with racist slurs, the same day the City of Toronto said it is examining whether the league is in breach of the city’s rules by refusing to disclose statistics on player penalties for racist slurs.

In an emailed statement, GTHL executive director Scott Oakman wrote that the league is retaining an independent investigator after Myles Douglas, a 16-year-old player with the Triple- A midget North York Rangers, told TSN in an interview that he was the victim of racial insults in at least half of the 45 games he played this season.

Douglas said that he didn’t bother to tell his coaches or referees about most of the cases because referees typically say they are powerless to call penalties if they don’t hear the slur. Oakman wrote that the GTHL has yet to confirm the scope of its planned investigation.

The GTHL is the largest minor hockey league in the world with more than 40,000 registered players. The league refuses to disclose the number of racism-related incidents that occur during its games, despite a call from several current and former NHL players to do so.

Oakman has said publishing that data on penalties related to racism, even with non-identifying information, may damage the reputation of the vast majority of the GTHL's players "whose good sportsmanship is beyond question."

“For a number of years, GTHL policy has specified that any sensitive information about minors who are participants in the league will not be released to the public,” Oakman wrote in an email on Wednesday. “This approach is consistent with the polices of school boards and other organizations that work with children and youth.”

But the GTHL’s policy is inconsistent with those of other Canadian sports organizations. Minor hockey associations in Saskatoon, Calgary and Winnipeg all provided TSN with data on such penalties.

The GTHL has publicly navigated the issue of racism on the ice for more than a decade.

In December 2009, The Toronto Star documented a sharp rise in the number of penalties for racist slurs in the GTHL. According to a consulting firm hired by the GTHL, the number of penalty calls for racist slurs increased from nine during the 2006-07 season to 98 in 2008-09.

“Socially this is unacceptable,” Oakman, who was the GTHL’s executive director, said at the time. “With the nature of our demographics, we have an obligation to address it.”

The GTHL has since stopped disclosing data on racism-related penalties. On Tuesday, Toronto resident Hiten Patel, whose son played in the league, wrote a complaint letter to City of Toronto staff on the issue.

“Based on 2019-20 ice allocation publicly posted at the city's website, the GTHL received 270 hours per week of ice time for competitive youth games, which is by far the most of any other user group,” Patel wrote in his email. “These allegations [of racial slurs in GTHL games] have been happening for decades but if the GTHL does not disclose any statistics such as frequency or locations of incidents then how can they put a plan in place in a transparent way to work with the wider community and society to genuinely address and improve such discrimination and harassment?

“Does the secrecy not breach the fact that all City of Toronto municipal ice users are expected to have policies in place and appropriate processes in place that ‘prevent, address and remedy that address discrimination, racism, harassment, hate...." (as fully described [in the] "Declaration of Compliance with Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Legislation and City Policy" which is a document all permit users including the GTHL must sign and adhere to)?”

Jane Arbour, a spokeswoman for Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department, confirmed the city is examining the complaint.

“Racist and derogatory slurs are not acceptable in public spaces or anywhere else,” Arbour wrote in an email to TSN. “Permit holders are required to sign a declaration stating they will comply with anti-discrimination and harassment policies. The city is aware of this request and staff are looking into it.”

Oakman wrote he hasn’t seen Patel’s complaint. He added the GTHL would comply if Toronto bylaws demanded the league be transparent about penalties and sanctions for racism.

“The GTHL currently makes whatever submissions are required by each municipality,” Oakman wrote. “If this becomes a requirement, we would support that change.”

The GTHL also confirmed it has contacted former NHL players in recent days to ask whether they would consider working in an advisory capacity with the league on race issues.

“We have had many discussions with individuals currently involved with our league, individuals with no involvement with our league and former players with our league and who have played in other leagues, including the NHL,” Oakman wrote. “It is important for us to listen to what they have to say and get their support in assisting us to address issues of racism and discrimination.”