Advertisement

Female football players allege catcalling and assault in formal complaint

A youth football team has filed a formal complaint with Football Manitoba after two of their female players say they were catcalled by boys on an opposing team after a game.

And one of the players filed a complaint with the RCMP alleging she had her behind slapped by another player.

After a game in September between the Interlake Thunder and the Falcons Football Club, Thunder player Isabelle McDonald, 15, said she was catcalled after she was putting away the team's equipment. She was approached by four male players from the Falcons team near the parking lot and verbally harassed, she said.

"They started catcalling me," said McDonald. "[They were] asking if I was coming over and complimented [me] on my butt."

When another female teammate came to help, the boys allegedly began to direct their comments toward her and the situation escalated.

"They were talking to her in a very aggressive manner and at the end they hit her on her butt. And then our players saw that and they chased the Falcons out of the field," said McDonald.

The dispute between the two teams was quickly broken up by parents and coaches.

The Midget Football League is comprised of mostly male players, aged 15 to 17, but females are allowed to play. Isabelle plays the halfback position for the Interlake Thunder as well as playing in another all girls' league.

She said she has never experienced that kind of behaviour in her five years of playing football, three of those years playing on boys' teams.

"We came into the league realizing that there is going to be some trash talk on the field between players, which is something that we just had to put up with," she said. "But this [incident] was long after the game where none of us deserved to be touched or called any of that."

Football game got out of hand

Joel McDonald, Isabelle's father and president of the Interlake Thunder Football Club, said the entire game that day was heated.

There are allegations that sexist and racist comments were thrown out between the teams. There were several penalties throughout the game, and a Falcons player was taken away by ambulance.

Isabelle said at the end of the game she had several comments directed at her by some of the Falcons players.

"I was called a bitch more than once," said Isabelle.

Her father said the Falcons team was approached by the league about the harassment complaint before anyone spoke with his daughter.

"That really put us in a situation where we felt that we were being accused of something," said Joel.

He said the league singled out the girls and two other players to be questioned, which Joel said felt like his daughter was being re-victimized.

"We're frustrated, we're confused as to why this has happened in this fashion. There's been no due process, there's been minimal productive conversation between our club and Football Manitoba or the league," said Joel.

He said he's no longer willing to sit down with the league to discuss the matter because he doesn't feel his daughter will be treated fairly and he has lost confidence in the formal process.

Joel said the coaches of both teams were each handed a one-game suspension following that September 24 game for not being able to control their players. But he said nothing has been done to address what allegedly happened after the game between Isabelle, her teammate and the boys.

"She's not expecting to not hear a little bit of locker room talk sometimes. She's not expecting to not be chirped on the football field maybe a little bit sometimes. But this was after the game, well after the game, in a position where she was very, very vulnerable."

Teams face off again

The teams faced off again this past Sunday, three weeks after the incident occurred. Joel said the Thunder limited the girls' playing time because they didn't want them to be targets.

Isabelle said she was nervous heading into that game.

"It was upsetting because I just want to play football, I don't want to be known as that girl," she said.

Isabelle said she approached a member of the league after the game to let them know she was disappointed.

"I thought they should know that I'm actually hurt by how they dealt with this situation and I thought they should know who I was," she said.

"What if you were a girl in that situation? How would you feel having been catcalled and being called a bitch?"

Football Manitoba investigating

Football Manitoba has launched an investigation into the allegations. The league itself, the Midget Football League of Manitoba, said it can't comment because of the ongoing investigation.

The Falcons Football Club and Football Manitoba would not do any formal interviews. They both provided similar statements by email:

"The Falcons are aware of the allegations that have been made. The Falcons as an organization are committed to a fair, safe and fun football environment. Football Manitoba is following their process and currently reviewing those allegations. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Please refer all further questions to Football Manitoba."

"Football Manitoba has been made aware of allegations raised by the Interlake Thunder and Falcons Football Teams. Football Manitoba is assisting the Midget Football League of Manitoba in reviewing allegations from both teams. We take these allegations very seriously as we believe in a fair, safe and fun football environment for all of our membership. It would be inappropriate to comment any further on these allegations at this time."

Football Manitoba would not clarify if the allegations being investigated happened during or after the game.

CBC contacted the Manitoba Football Officials Association to see if the referees or time keepers who were there that day could provide clarity on what took place, but no one would provide comment.

Mitch Obach, the former president of the Interlake Thunder, has been handling the complaint for the team because the current president is personally involved in the case.

Obach said he is disappointed by what he sees as a lack of action by the league and Football Manitoba.

"I think they have a responsibility to provide support in whatever way they can," he said.

Joel said there's been ample time for the league to address his daughter's complaint and make her feel safe. He said the league regularly sends out their code of conduct and requires coaching staff to take Respect in Sport training,

He said his daughter is tough and won't let this experience keep her from playing the game she loves.

"She has every right to play football, just like anybody else does."

The Thunder lost their last game to the Falcons on Sunday and are now done for the season. The Falcons will play in the championship game on October 30.