NHLPA email scandal
p2pnet.net news:- Executives at the National Hockey League Player’s Association “accessed” and “in some cases blocked” email accounts of players who challenged the hiring of the union’s executive director, say players, according to The Toronto Star.
Toronto police are now investigating the allegations, “the latest salvo in the battle for control of the splintered Toronto-based union,” says the story, going on:
“For the past two weeks, police have been looking into whether [NHLPA executive director Ted] Saskin and Ken Kim, the union’s senior director of business, ordered technical support staff at the union to access player email accounts hosted by the union, and whether such an action would be illegal, four sources familiar with the investigation told the Star.
“Toronto police have now presented their findings to a Crown counsel, who will decide whether there is enough evidence to lay criminal charges.”
The Star says an unidentified source said several players and union staff had, “known for months that NHLPA executives were accessing private email accounts,” going on, “The question of whether it was legal was raised by some players after reading news accounts of the recent Hewlett-Packard Co. boardroom-spying scandal in the U.S. Some players believed the alleged unauthorized email access was criminal.”
The story quotes University of Ottawa Net law professor Michael Geist as saying, “The fact is that the players’ employers are their hockey teams. The union’s administration doesn’t have carte blanche to go and do whatever they want, reading emails.”
“Snooping crosses the line when you’re doing it surreptitiously. And if you’re looking at email and not telling players about it, that likely crosses the line.”
An independent report on NHLPA activities by Toronto lawyer Sheila Block is expected by this summer, adds the story, and meanwhile, “Saskin released a statement saying he would not comment further while the internal review launched last month continued,” says the Canadian Press, quoting him as declaring:
“The NHLPA is fully co-operating with the internal review process currently being conducted,” Saskin said in the statement. “As we have previously advised, we will not be making any comment until the review process is complete.
“We remain confident that there have been no illegal activities at the NHLPA and are looking forward to responding to these allegations once the internal review has been completed and reported on to the membership.”
Also See:
The Toronto Star – Email furor has NHL players on edge, March 5, 2007
Canadian Press – More scandal for NHLPA, March 5, 2007
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