Task Force Finds Problems in the Culture of the Men’s Ice Hockey Program at Boston University

Earlier this year in separate incidents, two members of the men’s ice hockey team at Boston University were charged with sexual assault. As a result, in March, Boston University President Robert A. Brown established a task force to review the culture of the men’s ice hockey program to determine if this culture contributed to the behavior of some its athletes.

The task force recently issued its report. It concluded that “there are a number of aspects of the culture and climate of the men’s ice hockey program that require action. Some of the issues are serious and require immediate attention at the highest level of the university.”

The task force recommended that members of the hockey team should undergo sexual assault prevention training on an annual basis and that team members should participate in a comprehensive alcohol and drug prevention program. The task force also recommended that the hockey team not be isolated in university housing and be more integrated into the campus community. It was also recommended that the university develop a peer and alumni mentoring program to “encourage players to achieve academic excellence and meet their career goals outside of hockey, and develop healthy and mutually respectful interpersonal and sexual relationships.”