Chicago Blackhawks fire trainer accused of sexual harassment

The Chicago Blackhawks said Sunday that a minor league trainer was fired last year following accusations of sexual harassment.

The NHL team said Rockford IceHogs head athletic trainer D.J. Jones was terminated in November after it investigated claims of sexual harassment that allegedly took place in 2014, according to NBC News.

“Recently, when allegations of sexual harassment in 2014 by D.J. Jones, the head athletic trainer for the Rockford IceHogs, were reported to the Blackhawks on October 27, 2021, we adhered to our new protocols and procedures, suspended Mr. Jones, conducted an in depth investigation over 5 days and, following the conclusive results, terminated Mr. Jones on November 3, 2021,” the team said in a statement, NBC reported.

“Under our new leadership, we have made it crystal clear that nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our players and employees, and there is a zero-tolerance policy for any violation of our standards of conduct in our organization,” the team added.

The Hill has reached out to the Chicago Blackhawks for further comment. ESPN, which first reported the firing, said Jones could not be immediately reached for comment.

ESPN reported that the allegations were brought forward after a report on sexual assault claims against former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich was released late last year.

Former first-round pick Kyle Beach has accused Aldrich of threatening him with a souvenir baseball bat in 2010 before allegedly sexually abusing him. Aldrich claimed the encounter was consensual.

The team reached a settlement with Beach in December.