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Report: Bill Guerin under investigation for role in alleged sexual assault cover-up

Wild GM Bill Guerin's spot with the U.S. Olympic team could be in jeopardy as SafeSport will reportedly investigate his role in an alleged sexual assault cover-up. (Getty)
Wild GM Bill Guerin's spot with the U.S. Olympic team could be in jeopardy as SafeSport will reportedly investigate his role in an alleged sexual assault cover-up. (Getty) (NHLI via Getty Images)

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has opened up an investigation into current Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin's potential role in an alleged sexual assault cover-up, according to Rick Westhead of TSN.

Erin Skalde, and her husband, Jarrod — who was an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, alleged in a lawsuit that former AHL Penguins head coach Clark Donatelli sexually assaulted her while the three were in a car in Providence, Rhode Island, on a road trip in November of 2018. The lawsuit was filed against the Penguins in November of 2020.

Jarrod filed the lawsuit after being fired by the Penguins in May of 2020. He suggests that the team used COVID-19 cuts as an excuse to terminate his contract, and that the real reason had to do with his complaints against Donatelli.

Seven months after filing the suit, Jarrod claimed that then-Penguins assistant general manager Bill Guerin told him not to speak of the alleged assault when it was brought to the latter's attention at the 2019 NHL Draft.

Erin filed the complaint to the U.S. Center for SafeSport on Oct. 5, and has been told that an investigation will be conducted into the matter. SafeSport, according to its website, is an "independent nonprofit committed to building a sport community where participants can work and learn together free of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and misconduct."

The organization has the power to investigate and distribute any potential punishments to anyone involved with any U.S. Olympic sport, team or program. The accusations against Guerin fall under the SafeSport's jurisdiction as he was named assistant general manager of the U.S. men's ice hockey team for the 2022 Olympics.

Chicago Blackhawks executive Stan Bowman — currently mired in a dark sexual assault saga of his own — was named GM of the American men's squad and still currently holds that post less than five months out from the Beijing Games.

Under SafeSport's Code, sanctions can be as severe as permanent ineligibility for a code violation.

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