OTTAWA — The University of Ottawa says its men's varsity hockey team, which was suspended in connection with a sexual assault investigation last year, will not be participating in the 2015-2016 hockey season.
The announcement comes just days after a class action lawsuit over the team's suspension was launched on behalf of 22 players against the university and its president.
Two students who were on the team were charged last summer with sexually assaulting a female student at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay in February. Those two are not part of the class action.
Almost a month after the alleged incident in Thunder Bay, University President Allan Rock suspended the entire hockey team for the season.
The university now says the team won't compete in the latest season and will instead "make the most of the coming year" to implement new measures that will provide student athletes "with better guidance."
It says it aims to re-launch its men's hockey program in time to compete in the 2016-2017 season.
