The Tampa Bay Lightning suspended defenseman Ian Cole after he was accused on social media of grooming and sexually abusing a woman when she was a minor. The Lightning said the team was fully cooperating with the NHL in an investigation and is making the decision to suspend Cole as it gathers more details.
“The Tampa Bay Lightning is aware of the allegations against player Ian Cole and are cooperating fully with the NHL on an investigation,” the Lightning said in a statement. “Our organization takes these allegations very seriously. While we continue to gather more details, we have decided to suspend Ian Cole pending the results of an investigation. No members of the organization, including players, will comment further at this time.”
The allegations were made on Twitter by a user identified as Emily Smith. The Twitter user posted a lengthy statement. See below.
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Source: NY Post