U of Regina coach fired amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with female athletes

Wade Huber, a former coach at University of Regina, was suspended and then fired after allegations of inappropriate behavior and conduct with female athletes.

Huber was suspended from his duties as the head coach of the U of R Cougars cross-country and track teams In September 2022.

Paul Dederick, a university spokesman, said in a statement that Huber’s employment was terminated in early October 2022 after an internal investigation.

Athletics Canada launched its own investigation later in October after complaints were made against Huber. It released an executive summary of its findings last week. 

Commissioner Hugh Fraser’s report said while there is no evidence to suggest that Huber’s behaviour involved sexual misconduct, Athletics Canada’s code of conduct states “grooming is often a slow, gradual and escalating process of building trust and comfort with a young person.”

The report concluded Huber “violated his responsibilities under the 2015 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct and Ethics, and constituted grooming, psychological maltreatment and sexual maltreatment under the 2021 Athletics Canada Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.”

A total of six allegations were detailed in the report.

Among them were accusations of Huber making comments about female athletes’ body parts and their clothes, including their bras. The report says that Huber admitted to complimenting one athlete on the fit of her sports bra.

The report summary says this conduct falls within Athletics Canada’s definitions of “boundary violations” and “grooming.”

Another allegation was about the nature of relationships Huber had developed with four particular female athletes he was close with. These athletes would have been teenagers at that time.

“Evidence of text message exchanges, late night lengthy phone calls, asking them to babysit his children, becoming close with their families and visiting their homes for meals clearly blurs the lines between what is acceptable in a coach/athlete relationship and what is not,” the summary states.

Another allegation involved taking an inappropriate photo of one of the female athletes.

“I find on a balance of probabilities that Mr. Huber engaged in the conduct described in this allegation,” the report says of that one.

An allegation related to a consensual kiss between Huber and someone who had previously been a teammate was dismissed. At the time Huber was not in a position of authority over that teammate and she had the “requisite capacity to consent,” the report says.

Two more allegations with regards to being intoxicated at the track facility were also dismissed.

The report says a whistleblower filed a complaint saying Huber was ‘massaging female athletes at practice when experienced trainers were available to perform that task.’

The whistleblower also alleged that Huber was intoxicated while in a hotel where the team was staying for a competition.

According to the report, several athletes gave evidence that Huber’s comments were inappropriate and made them feel uncomfortable.

“The aforementioned conduct meets the definition of psychological maltreatment under the 2021 Code of Conduct.”

Following the report, Huber was suspended indefinitely from participating in any program, practice, activity, event, or competition sanctioned by Athletics Canada or any of its members or affiliates.