The Tampa Bay Lightning have suspended defenseman Ian Cole indefinitely pending the results of an NHL investigation into allegations of sexual assault and grooming of a minor made against Cole by an anonymous Twitter user on Friday.
“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 on Sunday evening.
“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 news comes two days after an anonymous Twitter user shared a detailed series of events chronicling Cole’s alleged acts of sexual abuse and grooming against her when she was a minor in high school. Included in the Twitter user’s post are also accounts of alleged verbal and physical abuse by Cole, which she says were done as a means of intimidation. The user also states that a former teammate of Cole’s told her that Cole had been bragging to his teammates about sexually assaulting her while she was a minor, insinuating that Cole’s actions were known by those around him, with the user saying, “He was able to recall details to me that only Ian and I would have known about, meaning that many on his team were aware he was involved with a minor.”
Follow along as this story develops.
