SAN JOSE – A former San Jose Jr. Sharks coach is being sued over allegations he sexually abused a player, and the lawsuit claims the operator of the youth hockey program is to blame because it did not enforce rules designed to protect participants.
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Filed on Thursday, the suit alleges Sharks Sports & Entertainment LLC and its subsidiary Sharks Ice failed to follow USA Hockey rules that require a “second responsible adult” to be present when coaches meet individually with players, as well as prohibit coaches from communicating with players electronically without supervision.
The former coach, identified as Kevin Whitmer, allegedly started grooming the player in April 2021 when he was 12 years old, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims Whitmer would take the player into a locker room at Sharks Ice, tell him to sit on his lap, wrap his hands around his waist and massage his chest and stomach.
The coach allegedly went on to perform sexual acts on the boy after almost every lesson, according to the lawsuit.
In addition, the suit claims Whitmer frequently asked the player to send him images of his chest and stomach, as well as explicit photos of him engaging in sexual acts.
Whitmer also allegedly “openly engaged in highly inappropriate and sexual behavior” with other players, which included touching them on their chests and stomachs, according to the lawsuit. On one occasion, a parent saw two youths sitting on Whitmer’s lap and notified a Sharks Ice tournament coordinator, who “blew off” the parent’s concern.
Reached by email, Sharks Sports & Entertainment LLC spokesperson Jim Sparaco said, “At this time, pending litigation, the organization will have no further comment.”
The firm owns the San Jose Sharks and several sports-related properties in the Bay Area.
The suit claims Sharks Sports & Entertainment LLC partnered with Sharks Ice to oversee the operations of the San Jose Jr. Sharks starting in 2017 and also employed Whitmer as a head coach, private skills instructor and player development coach for about six years.
The program offers competitive teams for 9- to 18-year-old boys and 8- to 19-year-old girls, according to its website.
Whitmer left the San Jose Jr. Sharks in May 2023 and began coaching at a youth hockey program in Colorado. The lawsuit alleges the firm either fired or forced him to step down “due to his inappropriate behavior with their minor hockey players.”
Later that summer, two San Jose Jr. Sharks parents filed formal complaints with the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Hockey detailing Whitmer’s alleged conduct.
The player at the center of the lawsuit then reported the alleged sexual abuse to the San Jose Police Department in late October. The following month, Whitmer was arrested and charged with 30 felony counts of oral copulation with a person under the age of 18 and 25 counts of possession of child pornography, according to the suit.
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