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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.