Players with the Dalhousie Tigers women’s hockey team met with the university’s president today to discuss the suspension of 17 members for their role in a hazing incident last September.
The senior players were suspended Jan. 3 after an internal investigation into the incident.
The players met with Tom Traves for 40 minutes behind closed doors Monday.
“The students read a statement and they asked some questions and the president asked some questions,” says university spokesman Charles Crosby. “He didn’t hear anything particularly new.”
The team did not speak to media after the meeting.
“We’ve been consistent though this process, saying the actions were the actions and that bell can’t be unrung and the consequences were specifically in relation to those actions,” says Crosby.
The university has called the hazing incident “serious” and “severe.” However, the players disagree.
Today, they told Tom Traves their side.
“It wasn’t anything particularly different than what they shared in their previous statement to media,” says Crosby.
The president has agreed to take another look at the suspensions, which stirred up some mixed reactions on campus.
“I think it’s good that they’re looking at it over again. They should reconsider for sure,” says one student.
“They did something stupid. They did something wrong, right?” says another.
The team wants to get back on the ice as soon as possible, but unless Traves has a change of heart, their options are limited.
Last week, some of the players parents began collecting donations for a legal fund.
Parents of the players didn’t speak to media today, but one parent told CTV News on Saturday that the team would consider taking the matter to court if Traves doesn’t reverse the decision.
“That’s certainly within their rights,” says Crosby. “If they want to pursue that avenue, then they’ll do that and we’ll respond accordingly.”
Traves is expected to get back to the players with a decision on their future before the end of the week.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Garreth MacDonald
