A father has been temporarily barred from attending his child’s hockey matches as part of his penalty for intimidating a young referee at a Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S., arena earlier this year. The 40-year-old man faced a mischief charge related to an incident during a minor hockey game at the Eastern Shore Community Centre in February. Last week, in Dartmouth provincial court, he accepted a peace bond, resulting in the dismissal of the criminal case. Among the stipulations in the agreement, he is forbidden from participating in any Hockey Nova Scotia games or events for four months.
Crown prosecutor Carla Ball remarked, “In this instance, it is a fitting resolution given the fear experienced by the referee.” The situation in February necessitated halting a hockey game, and a young referee had to be escorted from the arena by law enforcement after enduring “hate-motivated” verbal attacks from a parent present in the audience, as per RCMP reports. Ball noted that the allegation of hate-motivation was tied to the referee’s ethnicity. While the charge was mischief in this scenario, Ball emphasized that Crown prosecutors treat any racism allegations seriously and view them as aggravating factors, although she refrained from discussing the specifics of this case as it was not litigated.
The accused declined to provide a statement to CBC News upon request.
A peace bond, a court-ordered measure under the Criminal Code, imposes specific conditions on an individual for up to 12 months and serves as an alternative to a criminal conviction. Alongside his penalties, the man is also instructed not to make contact with the referee or the referee’s family for a year. If he attends a minor hockey game after the four-month ban expires and the referee is officiating, he must exit the premises, Ball affirmed.
Ball stressed the importance of parents setting positive examples for children, particularly at youth sports events, as they serve as role models for the expected societal behavior. She believes that the man’s punishment, including missing four months of his child’s sports season, will convey a message that such conduct is unacceptable. “A parent engaged in youth sports would likely understand the significance of missing their child’s games, which makes this consequence extremely impactful,” she added.
In February, Todd Thomander, the director of officiating for Hockey Nova Scotia, revealed to CBC News that about 30% of referees in the province quit after their first year due to mistreatment by spectators.