OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have suspended assistant general manager Randy Lee, who is facing a harassment charge from an incident during the NHL’s pre-draft scouting combine in Buffalo earlier this month.
General manager Pierre Dorion announced Lee’s suspension in a statement Friday afternoon. Dorion said the suspension is effective immediately and applies to work with the Senators as well as the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, Ont.
The move comes a week before the NHL draft in Dallas.
Lee is charged with second-degree harassment after allegedly making lewd comments and rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male hotel shuttle driver in Buffalo on May 30. He has pled not guilty and is due in court on July 6.
"As our hockey club’s initial statement made clear, our hockey team — and our organization as a whole — will always hold our leaders, coaching staff, players and employees to the highest standards of behaviour," Dorion said in the statement.
"Harassment in any form is unacceptable, whether it occurs inside or outside the work place."
Dorion said the Senators are unaware of any previous complaints against Lee, and that Lee is entitled to due process and the right to address the allegation in court.
"That said, the questions that must be answered by Randy are unlikely to be addressed until his next court date … we believe the best way to live our values and enforce our standards of behaviour is to suspend Randy Lee until the allegations against him are ruled upon by the courts," Dorion said.
Lee faces a fine and up to 15 days in jail if guilty.
The full statement can be found here.
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