Sports integrity commissioner deems majority of complaints inadmissible in 1st annual report

The newly created Office of the Sport Integrity Commission (OSIC) has deemed a majority of complaints it received since it opened last year as inadmissible.

In its first annual report, OSIC said it received 193 complaints since it first began receiving them in June 2022.

But only 66 of those complaints were judged to be admissible, while another nine were still awaiting a determination.

The remaining 118 complaints, more than 60 per cent, were turned away.

"We observed a broad range of participants concerned by alleged prohibited behaviours reported in year one," Sarah-Eve Pelletier, the sport integrity commissioner, said in a statement. "This speaks strongly to the necessary concerted efforts regarding safe sport."

Pelletier was appointed the country's first sport integrity commissioner amid a wave of former and current athletes pointing to toxic cultures in their sport and demanding change.

OSIC said the 118 claims that were inadmissible were dismissed because they didn't fall under the office's jurisdiction.

A commission spokesperson said most inadmissible cases relate to the respondent not being a participant under the authority of a signatory organization or the matter being unrelated to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

"In such instances, OSIC aims to help the individual move forward and will refer them to an alternate reporting option, if existing and should they consent," the spokesperson said in a statement.

An alternative reporting option was identified in half the cases and a referral made in 38 per cent of the inadmissible cases, the report notes. 

In order for a sports organization to fall under OSIC's jurisdiction, it must be a signatory to its safe sport policies — though the office can dismiss a claim for other reasons, such as the complainant not providing adequate information.

Newly appointed Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough said "important work is also being done" at the provincial and territorial level to ensure those not covered by OSIC have an avenue to complain.

"The creation of the commissioner's office came at the request of national-level athletes who identified this as a necessary step towards safer sport environments, and I am confident that we are on the right path to creating a positive culture shift within the Canadian sport system," Qualtrough said in a statement. 

OSIC has seen an uptick in the percentage of complaints it has admitted. Early reports showed the office admitted 25 per cent in the first quarter and 33 per cent in the second quarter, citing jurisdictional reasons for the low percentage.

In response to the wave of scandals, former sports minister Pascale St-Onge threatened to withhold money from federally funded sports organizations that didn't sign on with OSIC by April 1.

Qualtrough said that push ensured that more than 10,000 athletes were covered by OSIC.

Complaints against coaches, board members

OSIC reports it now has 86 signatories, including Hockey Canada and Gymnastics Canada, which have been headliners for problems.

Of the cases that were admitted by OSIC, one in four dealt with complaints of psychological maltreatment and 17 per cent dealt with issues of sexual assault.

Forty per cent of complaints were lodged against coaches, and a further 17 per cent were made against organization board members.

Of the admitted case, 13 have resulted in "provisional measures" or temporary consequences. There have been three mediation cases and one final finding of a violation that resulted in a sanction thus far.