Winnipeg Blue Bombers release receiver after sexual assault allegation
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers released veteran receiver Jalen Saunders earlier this week after investigating an allegation of sexual assault against him.
The CFL team let Saunders go Wednesday.
The move came amid reports a 22-year-old woman has filed a formal complaint alleging Saunders pressed to enter her apartment and pressured her for sex before assaulting her despite repeated pleas for him to stop.
"On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, the WFC was made aware, via social media, of an alleged sexual assault involving one of our players, Jalen Saunders," the Bombers said in a statement. "Immediately, our club advised the individual who came forward to notify the Winnipeg Police. At the same time, we began our internal review of the off-field incident, following the CFL policy of Violence against Women.
"After our internal review, this player was immediately released from the roster by our organization. The Winnipeg Football Club takes violence against women and sexual assault seriously, and thanks the individuals for coming forward on this."
Winnipeg signed Saunders in April. He last played in the CFL in 2018, registering 45 catches for 739 yards and two touchdowns in nine games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Saunders signed with Ottawa in 2020 before the CFL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He never got on the field in 2021 after being involved in a serious car accident.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.