Ex-Blackhawks coach Bradley Aldrich assaulted two men at Miami University, the investigation concludes

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An investigation into Bradley Aldrich’s time at Miami (Ohio) University found that the former Blackhawks video trainer sexually assaulted two men in Miami in the fall of 2012.

The final report on the investigation, conducted by the law firm Barnes & Thornburg and released on Friday, did not mention that Miami received a letter of recommendation from the Hawks when Aldrich was hired.

Aldrich has been under intense investigation after two negligence suits pertaining to him were filed against the Blackhawks in May and June.

The first lawsuit alleged that Aldrich sexually abused a Hawks player in May 2010 and that Hawks’ management covered up the attack while silently firing him that summer. The second claimed the Hawks had provided Aldrich with letters of recommendation to his prospective employers, including Miami University and later Houghton, Michigan High School, where he attacked a 16-year-old member of the boy’s hockey team. The Hawks have pending motions to dismiss both claims.

The Miami investigation revealed that Aldrich had attacked a summer hockey camp intern and a Miami student who worked on the rink. Both attacks came after Aldrich invited the men to sleep on his couch.

However, the investigation also concluded that after learning of each incident, Miami “acted appropriately” and “complied with all of its legal obligations.” Miami suspended Aldrich’s employment after the intern reported his attack, prompting Aldrich to resign. The bachelor student, on the other hand, only reported the attack in 2018, according to the report.

However, the process of Miami employing Aldrich is paramount to the Hawks. An original version of the second lawsuit filed against the Hawks alleged that the Hawks had “provided positive indications of prospective employers,” while an amended version claimed that the Hawks merely had a “positive review and / or employment review from Aldrich to Houghton “Delivered. The Hawks have identified these allegations as “demonstrably false” in their own records.

Friday’s new report concluded that Aldrich “did not provide references”. [to Miami] on his résumé, ”and the report makes no mention of any letters or recommendations from the Hawks. The report says that Miami hockey coach at the time, Rico Blasi, spoke to the coaching staff at Notre Dame University – where Aldrich worked from 2010 to 2012 after leaving the Hawks – and “received favorable information.”

Miami conducted a background check on Aldrich before hiring him, and although it wasn’t completed until after he was hired, there were no red flags as Aldrich “had no criminal convictions or arrests” at the time, according to the report.

A separate investigation into Aldrich’s tenure with the Hawks is being conducted by the law firm Jenner & Block.

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