Hockey player claims anti-Semitism om Anaheim Ducks organization

ANAHEIM, California (WJC)– Jason Bailey, a professional US ice hockey player, is suing the NHL team Anaheim Ducks in court, claiming that coaches of one of its affiliate teams subjected him to harassment and anti-Semitic remarks. The 23-year-old is seeking damages in court from the Ducks, the Bakersfield Condors and the two coaches, Martin Raymond and Mark Pederson.

According to the complaint, the player endured “a barrage of anti-Semitic, offensive and degrading verbal attacks regarding his Jewish faith” from Raymond. According to the lawsuit, the head coach of the Condors said, referring to Jews that they “only care about money and who’s who.”

Bailey also alleges that Raymond said “he never wanted his son to be raised Jewish or to wear a yarmulke.” Assistant head coach Pederson made anti-Semitic remarks about Bailey, the suit alleges, including, “well, I don’t know if we can trust him with the money; he is Jewish.” Bailey, who was drafted in 2005 by the Ducks but has not played in the NHL, says he was rarely given ice time and was not provided with resources “that were fully available to the hockey players who were not Jewish.”

According to the lawsuit, the player in 2009 complained to the Bakersfield coaches about the “anti-Semitic hostile work environment” and spoke to Anaheim Ducks official David McNab, who told him the organization “found his complaints unbelievable.” Bailey was sent another team, the Iowa Chops, where he got no playing time.

The Ducks tried to send him to the Central Hockey League, but when he claimed the move would be a breach of his contract, the team backed down and suspended Raymond and Pederson briefly and told them to write apology letters, the lawsuit states. Bailey claims the letters were insincere. In one, Pederson allegedly wrote, “I guess I never stopped to think about the impact my statement would have on you or how it would make you feel. It was not intended to insult or hurt in you in any way, but it did, and for that I am truly sorry.”

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Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress