Investigation leaves Argos a choice for involvement of women in CFL
By Lethbridge Herald on August 13, 2024.
Graham Kelly – INSIDE THE CFL
On May 7, the CFL issued the following statement: “Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly has been suspended for 2024’s preseason games and a minimum of nine further games for violating the Canadian Football league’s Gender-based Violence Policy. Mr. Kelly will be required to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert.
Both the counselling sessions and the assessments must be satisfactorily completed before the CFL will consider Mr. Kelly’s reinstatement. If he is unable to satisfactorily complete those sessions and assessments, the CFL reserves the right to modify the discipline. Mr. Kelly’s suspension is the direct result of his behaviour.”
It seems the 2023 Most Outstanding Player Award winner was alleged to have taken a fancy to the team’s strength and conditioning coach. She took exception to his aggressive behaviour and reported the harassment to assistant GM John Murphy who did nothing except inform her days later her contract would not be renewed. So she filed suit in Ontario Superior Court. She said Kelly repeated sexual advances over two seasons and became aggressive when she rejected him. Her lawsuit alleged he yelled derogatory things at her in front of others, cursed her name in a team meeting room and told others she was lucky he hadn’t hurt her. When she went to management about the problem, she was told she had needlessly opened a can of worms. She began her career with the Argos in 2018. They let her go in January.
While the victim lost her job, in March 2023 the perpetrator had signed a three year deal paying a combined $1.865 million. He is the highest paid player in the CFL. Young strength coaches make diddly-squat.
She was suing for $85,714 from the Argos, $80,000 from Kelly and $10,000 in punitive damages. The parties reached an arbitrated settlement in June.
The Argos violated league policy by failing to inform the commissioner about what happened. When the ship hit the sand, the CFL launched an investigation, found the allegations were true and suspended the Argo star.
Chad Kelly is no stranger to controversy. He was kicked out of his high school program for rules violations. He was dismissed from Clemson for “conduct detrimental to our program”. After problems at East Mississsippi Community College, he got a scholarship to Ole Miss. Before playing a down, the talented quarterback was charged with 3rd degree assault, 2nd degree harassment, 2nd degree menacing, resisting arrest, 4th degree criminal mischief, 3rd degree criminal trespass.
Denver made him the last player chosen in the NFL draft. That pick is called Mr. Irrelevant. At Denver he was charged with criminal trespass and cut. In 2019 he signed with Indianapolis but was released for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Argo GM, Michael “Pinball” Clemons who stands 5’6” and has a 6’5” smile should never have signed the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Buffalo’s Jim Kelly in the first place. He was a time bomb waiting to go off. But they were desperate to put fans in the stands.
As a player, head coach and front office executive Pinball has won seven Grey Cups. He has worked tirelessly to boost attendance at BMO Stadium, with little success. Last Friday’s game against Calgary drew a paltry 13,481 paying customers. Still he is one of Toronto’s most beloved sports personalities.
In all of Clemon’s’ 59 years on both sides of the border there has never been a whiff of scandal, not even stories of youthful indiscretions. He is as he appears, formidably honest, charitable, a Christian who indeed loves his neighbour. To Pinball, everyone is his neighbour. Because of his faith and personality, it is his natural inclination to give a man a second chance. To do so would be to send the worst possible message to the public. Players around the CFL have said sexual harassment cannot be tolerated. Pinball has to wear this.
Last week the league announced they had received the report from the independent expert and will announce their decision soon. For the sake of the CFL’s integrity and the continuation of their programs to involve women in the game, Pinball has only one option: Kelly must be released.
If you were Commissioner Randy Ambrosie, or were in Pinball’s shoes, what would you do?
15-14
I agree. I really hope that releasing Kelly releases the Argos from the obligation to pay his salary, at least in future years. As an Argos fan, I want the team to have a QB1 who respects women.