Kelly Greig

In the 1990s, after thousands of studies had established that cigarette smoking was linked to cancer, top tobacco company officials belittled the research, suggesting the subject merely merited further investigation. (In 2022, the U.S. National Institutes of Health publicly confirmed that CTE is caused by repetitive traumatic brain injuries.)

Several criminal lawyers who specialize in sexual assault cases have told me over the past days they expected former 2018 World Juniors players facing prosecution for an alleged sex assault in London, Ont., might face charges of gang sexual assault and forceable confinement. Alex Formenton’s attorney Daniel Brown told me today that the former Senators player has not been charged with either of those offences. He declined to elaborate on what Formenton has been charged with. If Formenton has been charged with common sexual assault, he faces a maximum 10 years in prison if he’s found guilty. People convicted of gang sexual assault face a maximum of 14 years. (Toronto lawyer Alison Craig told me it’s not uncommon for sexual assault charges to be upgraded after they are laid.)

Western University refuses to make public a report that details an investigation into allegations of misconduct that led to the firing of the school's strength and conditioning coach. The secrecy comes after universities and several pro teams — including the Chicago Blackhawks amid the Kyle Beach scandal — have been transparent with such reports. Western prof MacIntosh Ross: “It’s highly suspicious... It’s like they have no plan unless the plan is to protect the school’s brand at all costs.”