A Los Angeles-based hockey team has suspended 15 players and three coaches following a video surfacing on social media of one player doing a Nazi salute, while others allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks such as “f*** the Jews” and f***ing Jews.”
The Athletic first reported the development.
It is unclear if the alleged anti-Semitic comments made by the L.A. Jr. Kings 14U AAA recreational club, which is not affiliated with the National Hockey League’s L.A. Kings, were directed towards Jewish players on the team.
The Kings said in a statement that it has been in “regular communication” with the Jr. Kings since the former was notified of the March 9 incident.
“We fully supported their decision to indefinitely suspend all players and coaches after they conducted an immediate internal investigation,” they said. “The LA Kings have zero tolerance for this type of behavior. We now await the results of the SafeSport investigation done by CAHA, on behalf of the Pacific District and USA hockey.”
The statement mentioned the coaches and players will be mandated to undergo sensitivity and social media training.
“This is outrageous,” said Simon Wiesenthal Center founder and dean Marvin Hier. “At a time when anti-Semitism is so prevalent all over the world, we discover that in our own backyard an LA Junior Kings hockey team made anti-Semitic remarks and Nazi salutes mocking Jews.”
“Every day, we are shocked to find out how prevalent this cancerous malignancy is in our society,” he continued. “If this is what they can say in their youth, what can we expect of them when they mature into adults?”
