Decision is in on request to suspend GM Stan Bowman

Earlier this week, Child USA, an American advocacy group that studies child abuse and prevention, formerly asked the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USPOC) to suspend Stan Bowman from his position as general manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team while he faces allegations that he essentially helped lead a cover up of a sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Chicago Blackhawks organization.

Bowman, of course, was President and GM of the Blackhawks in 2010 when two unnamed players were allegedly sexually assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich. Aldrich was released from his position with the team, but was given a letter of recommendation and a good reference on his way out the door. Aldrich would then go on to commit further crimes while employed in the NCAA and was convicted of those crimes. Had Bowman or anyone else in the Blackhawks’ organization gone to the authorities with their concerns though, there’s reason to believe that the abuse would have ended. As it is, the Blackhawks essentially aided and abetted a sexual predator.

In a Sept. 10 letter to USPOC chief executive Sarah Hirshland, Marci Hamilton, founder of the advocacy group Child USA, wrote that Bowman, who is also the current GM of the Blackhawks, should be suspended by USA Hockey.

However on Wednesday, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has rejected an American think tank’s request to suspend Olympic men’s hockey team GM Stan Bowman while he faces allegations that he helped cover up the sexual abuse of two Blackhawks players.

“The U.S. Center for SafeSport was created as an independent organization dedicated to receiving and investigating reports of sexual misconduct and harassment, and emotional and physical abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements,” USOPC spokesman Jon Mason wrote. “The Center has the exclusive jurisdiction over participants, and to investigate and resolve allegations involving child abuse or sexual misconduct, including failure to report such allegations.”

This latest news is certain to get former players to react…