Let’s open this post with two quotes that couldn’t be further apart. The first quote came out of the front office of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey franchise:
“Through this resolution [of sexual abuse], the Penguins hope to bring closure to the Skaldes [the abused woman], provide some measure of peace and continue to encourage and promote a culture of openness, accountability and respect at all levels of professional sports.”
Then, I’d like to introduce part of a quote from The Atlantic sports writer Katie Strang (November 16, 2021):
“The Skaldes had previously filed a federal lawsuit against the Penguins in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania in November 2020 that alleged that the Penguins ‘negligently retained a known serial harasser’ in Donatelli, who harassed and assaulted ‘numerous women’ and retaliated against Jarrod Skalde after he reported the alleged sexual assault.”
I juxtapose the two quotes to show that the professional hockey organization was more than happy to congratulate itself for negotiating a sexual assault settlement and at the same time they allegedly knew their minor league head coach, Clark Donatelli, was most probably a serial sexual abuser – and they did nothing about it.
Clark Donatelli
Clark Donatelli, the now, ex-coach of the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and his assistant, Jarrod Skalde went out to dinner with Skalde’s wife after a win. This was about three years ago, November 2018. During the evening, without Jarrod Skalde’s knowledge, Donatelli forced himself on Skalde’s wife and forcefully touched her genital area and breasts.
She kept it a secret for a while, in fact until June 2019, when it was reported to the Penguins organization. Having listened to so many cases of this nature, both in and out of sports, I know all too well there is a component of shame on the part of the person who was abused as well as “protection.” Jarrod Skalde was an assistant coach seeking a career. My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that she didn’t want to involve her husband.
However, when it came to light, and it was reported to the police (July 26, 2019) a summons was issued for Donatelli’s arrest. He was released on bail.
However, that seems to have trigged other consequences. As part of a lawsuit against the organization, Jarrod Skalde claimed the team retaliated against him. The “powers that be” in the organization might have been upset that the claim against Donatelli was aired in public. Nevertheless, when the indictment was issued, the team released him.
At that point, Donatelli accepted a coaching position in Germany to try to get away from everything. He coached over there for a while until he was informed the legal action against him was progressing and his return was demanded. He returned in order to avoid the further humiliation of an extradition.
At this point, Donatelli is undoubtedly working with lawyers to prepare for a hearing in December.
What Did Donatelli Hear?
Donatelli allegedly had a reputation as a serial abuser. It was not a secret and The Penguins organization knew it. Despite patting themselves on the back for their culture of openness and accountability, they were everything but those things. In addition, they allegedly made it difficult for the assistant coach after he was compelled to report the crime against his wife.
This type of pattern is endemic in organizations that lack a commitment to ethics and a focus on a culture of respect and gender equity. They knew who Donatelli was and they knew his values and reputation. Among unethical athletes and coaches there is sometimes a confusion between on the field (or ice) behavior and what society expects of its citizens.
Expectations of ethical behavior off the field should be a given. When unethical behaviors occur it is an organizational problem, top to bottom, and it demands to be addressed.
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