Scots ice hockey outfit Glasgow Clan has removed its chief executive following an investigation into the signing of a player who has outstanding rape charges to answer to in the United States. Clan CEO Gareth Chalmers has been dropped by the team less than a week after it announced it was adding Finnish defender Lasse Uusivirta to the squad.
Fans were outraged at the news as it emerged that the 33-year-old player is facing criminal charges stemming from an incident in 2013. Head coach Malcolm Cameron will return to his role immediately, and will answer to a new general manager that will be appointed in the coming weeks.
It is unclear whether Chalmers, who has been with the team since 2013 according to his own social media profiles, has been removed from the club together or will be moved to a different role.
Neil Black, chairman of the team, said in a statement published on Tuesday: "I have now concluded my internal investigation into the events which led to the suspension of both Malcolm Cameron and Gareth Chalmers on Thursday, September 29. As a result of my findings, the Glasgow Clan are with immediate effect making the following changes to the management and reporting structure of the On Ice activities of the Clan.
"Malcolm Cameron will return to his role as Head Coach, reporting to a newly appointed Clan GM whose role and appointment replaces that of the current Clan Chief Executive.
"We hope to be able to confirm the Clan GM appointment in the coming weeks. In the meantime the Head Coach will now report directly to the Clan Chairman until the Clan GM appointment is confirmed. The Club sincerely apologises to anyone upset by recent events."
Within minutes of announcing Uusivirta's signing on Thursday, fans angrily pointed out he was accused of raping a US university student in 2013, for which charges remain active. The club then withdrew the announcement, deleted all traces of the 33-year-old Finn from their website and social media, and cancelled the deal.
Clan fans have reacted with dismay to Tuesday's statement, with some suggesting that the axe should have fallen on Cameron, as head coach, as well as Chalmers. The statement did not include any information on which staff were aware of Uusivirta's past, or whether it was discussed prior to the signing.
One fan wrote on Twitter: "I would have expected ownership and a significant contribution to a charity that supports survivors. I'm really sad that anyone in the signing is still involved in the club."
Another wrote: "An embarrassment of a statement; do the club seriously expect the fans to swallow that the coach knew zero about this, without any subsequent explanation?"
A third added: "This statement is nowhere near enough for what the fans and players deserve. Clarity and transparency required."
Uusivirta was initially investigated by campus police at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). US court documents suggest he completed a handwritten statement admitting to the assault and was handed a deferred suspension for two terms, despite initially being threatened with expulsion. His alleged victim is currently suing UAH over its handling of the incident.
She filed criminal charges after the university deferred his suspension and Uusivirta was arrested - before leaving the country. The incident appears to have been acknowledged by Glasgow Clan in a now-deleted video interview hosted by media officer Craig Anderson, who alludes to "something that allegedly took place in North America."
Anderson stated: "We’re not going into any details about what happened or didn’t happen. That’s not what we’re here to do. But you got cleared of any charges. Let’s be absolutely clear about that.”
However, Uusivirta was never cleared of charges by US prosecutors, who say the charges remain active and would be raised were the Finn ever to set foot on US soil again. Ice hockey fans, meanwhile, have come together to raise cash for rape crisis charities in Glasgow - a fundraiser has pulled in over £1,800 to date.
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