Kyle Beach’s suit against the Chicago Blackhawks reveals the sexual assault he endured at the hands of disgraced coach Brad Aldrich. It also exposes the Blackhawks for refusing to take action against Brad. Beach initially filed the suit as ‘John Doe 1’ before coming out as the first plaintiff.
Aldrich is a registered sex offender following his 2014 conviction for sexual assault on a high school player. Beach’s suit has painted Brad as an abuser who took advantage of his position in power and used threats to force his victims into silence.
Brad works at a glass-etching company that employs college-aged interns
Brad Aldrich is the chief executive of OcuGlass, a Michigan-based glass etching company with ties to universities and colleges. The company launched in 2013 with four employees, and in five years, it had expanded to 30 employees.
According to a March 2019 post on the site by Brad, the company owes part of its success to a flourishing internship program. The post reads:
“OcuGlass plans to continue to recruit and work with college student talent in all areas of their business. We are proud of the program that has unfolded, and we are extremely grateful for the efforts and contributions of the interns.”
Brad’s close association with college interns has raised fears that he might reoffend. Elizabeth Jeglic, a psychology professor at John Jay College, described Brad’s work with interns as ‘high risk behavior.’ She continued:
“One thing you teach offenders is to stay away from situations where they may have the opportunity to reoffend. I don’t think, given the allegations against him and his conviction, that this is a good idea. If I was in charge of these internship programs, I would not continue with these programs.”
Aldrich is a tier two registered sexual offender required to verify his information biannually. Anyone can access information about Aldrich by visiting the state’s database of sexual offenders. Being in the registry prevents Brand from living near a school or a public park, but it doesn’t place many restrictions on his life.
“Being on that public registry is probably the hardest thing for [Aldrich] right now,” Sam Bennett, a defense attorney, told TSN. TSN senior correspondent Rick Westhead tweeted that a law-enforcement source in Michigan said to him that Aldrich can hire interns ‘so long as they are 19+.’
The uproar against Brad will continue as Beach pursues legal action against him. Few stand in Brad’s corner, including Jared Peryam, a Finlandia University alum who worked for Aldrich. “He’s a great guy,” Jared told TSN. “Everybody makes mistakes. It’s in the past. People change.”
TSN’s report portrayed Brad as a man living a happy life. “He’s living life like he did nothing wrong,” Corey Markham, a high school football coach, said. “I’ve seen him back out at the bars… having a good time.”
The Blackhawks have requested the removal of Brad’s name from the Stanley Cup
Via a letter to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Blackhawks’ Chairman Rocky Wirtz has requested the removal of Aldrich’s name from the Stanley Cup. The Hall of Fame released a statement expressing its approval of the request. The statement reads:
“Hockey Hall of Fame Chair, Lanny McDonald, spoke with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly today regarding the request to have Brad Aldrich’s name removed from the Stanley Cup. The parties agree that this request is appropriate and that they will have further dialogue on how best to effectuate this request.”
Aldrich’s name appears on the Stanley Cup due to his contribution to the team’s 2009-10 triumph. An investigation by law firm Jenner & Block found that the team’s hierarchy refused to follow up on Beach’s complaint to prevent a loss of on-field momentum.
The Hawks’ senior management discussed the complaint in May 2021 but took no action. In his request, Rocky described winning the Stanley Cup as the most significant triumph in ice hockey. “No other trophy of sport compares to the Stanley Cup and what it represents,” he wrote.
Wirtz acknowledged the hierarchy’s role in compounding Kyle Beach’s trials and described Aldrich’s behavior as ‘unforgivable.’ He concluded by writing:
“The names of some of hockey’s most talented athletes appear on the Stanley Cup. But so does the name ‘Brad Aldrich,’ whose role as video coach made him eligible for engraving. His conduct disqualified him, however, and it was a mistake to submit his name. We are sorry we allowed it to happen.”
Three people are considering filing a lawsuit against Brad and the Blackhawks
Three potential plaintiffs have hired Christopher Cortese as they consider filing a lawsuit against Brad and the Blackhawks. Christopher told The Sports Network that he contacted the Blackhawks detailing the allegations against the franchise.
One of the potential plaintiffs, John Doe 3, told TSN that Brad revealed that he was gay. John Doe 3 alleges that he saw Brad as a mentor of sorts. He further claims that Brad sexually assaulted him in October 2012.
John Doe 3 said that after a night of drinking, Brad offered him a place to sleep. The pair went to Brad’s apartment, where Brad allowed John Doe 3 to try on his Stanley Cup ring.
The pair drank some more before John Doe 3 went to sleep on Brad’s couch. John Doe 3 claims that he woke to find Brad assaulting him:
“When I woke up, my pants were around my ankles, he was playing with my penis, and it was all wet down there. He clearly had been performing oral sex on me. I got up and said, ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ And I left his apartment.”
John Doe 3 alleges that he kept the incident secret and turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. He added that Brad kept contacting him. “He kept messaging on text, on Facebook, on Snapchat and I just tried to ignore him,” John Doe 3 added.
John Doe’s attempt to report backfired as an officer told him that the statute of limitations had expired. He claims that the assault still affects him. “I have not had a relationship since then,” he said. “Not one. I just have such a hard time trusting anyone.”
The second potential plaintiff, Black Ace 1, claims that Brad sent him sexually explicit photos. Former Blackhawks coach Paul Vincent is the third potential plaintiff. Vincent alleges that the Blackhawks threatened him after he reported Brad’s conduct. Paul told TSN:
“And after we won the Stanley Cup, I went into a meeting with [then vice-president of hockey operations] Al MacIsaac and he told me he was going to offer me a contract for half what I had been making. They were punishing me. They did not like me pushing for them to report Brad Aldrich to the police.”
Vincent said that he feels guilty for failing to report Brad. “I was also burdened by shame because I realized that after I told the Blackhawks about what players told me Aldrich had done, I never followed up,” he said. “And look at what he went on to do.”