The San Jose Jr. Sharks youth hockey organization has agreed to pay $4.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a boy who was sexually assaulted in 2021 by the youth hockey coach at the time.
The court-approved the settlement announced by the law firm of Cerri, Boskovich & Allard involved allegations that a young hockey player suffered sexual abuse within the youth team's program, which operates under Sharks Sports & Entertainment, LLC and its subsidiary, Sharks Ice, LLC. Sharks Sports and Entertainment is a privately held company that owns the San Jose Sharks and several sports-related properties throughout the Bay Area.
The civil lawsuit claimed that John Doe, who began playing for the organization in April 2021 at the age of 11, was sexually abused by Jr. Sharks coach, Kevin Whitmer.
Whitmer is to appear in court on Friday for sentencing, where he faces an expected 25-year prison term.
On August 26, Whitmer plead no contest to 12 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 in relation to the sexual abuse of five different boys. He also pleaded no contest to one felony count for possession of child pornography.
In November 2023, San José Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce detectives investigated a crime involving lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. During the investigation, Kevin Whitmer was identified as the primary suspect.
The investigation determined that the assaults occurred at Sharks Ice rink in San Joseand also at suspect Whitmer's temporary residence in the city of San José. Suspect Whitmer was a former Head Coach for a AAA team for the San Jose Jr. Sharks, a youth hockey organization, a Skills Coach for the same organization, and a former Assistant Head Coach for the Colorado Thunderbirds in Denver, Colorado. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect and a search warrant for his residence in Denver. Detectives arrested suspect Whitmer in the city of Denver where he was later booked into Denver’s Main Jail for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and possession of child pornography.
The civil complaint detailed a pattern of grooming behavior by Whitmer. The lawsuit claimed that Whitmer would instruct Doe to sit on his lap, wrap his hands around his waist and midsection and engage in chest and abdominal massages.
These encounters allegedly escalated, with the lawsuit accusing Whitmer of performing sexual acts on Doe while they were alone together in the Sharks Ice locker room.
According to the allegations, Sharks Ice received multiple notifications from a program supervisor about Whitmer violating locker room rules. No corrective measures were reportedly taken in response.
The San Jose Jr. Sharks organization holds membership in USA Hockey, the sport's national governing body in the United States. The legal complaint asserted that Sharks Ice and Sharks Sports & Entertainment failed to properly implement or enforce USA Hockey's locker room and electronic communication policies. The lawsuit described an environment in which coaches allegedly had unrestricted access to locker rooms where they could interact inappropriately with minor players in private, and where they could engage in unsupervised one-on-one electronic communications with young
athletes.
Beyond the organizational failures, the lawsuit also alleged that Whitmer engaged in overtly inappropriate and sexual conduct with his minor athletes. Parents of Jr. Sharks players reportedly observed Whitmer displaying strange behavior and making athletes uncomfortable, according to the complaint.
“We are encouraged that the Sharks organization has been held accountable and that this settlement delivers meaningful justice for our client,” Doe’s attorney Mark Boskovich said. “Whitmer’s influence reached vulnerable kids in the locker room and beyond, and today’s result is a step toward restoring their dignity and ensuring this never happens again.”
The lawsuit identified Whitmer as having worked in partnership with Sharks Sports and Entertainment and Sharks Ice in multiple capacities over an extended period. He reportedly served as head coach, private skills instructor, and player development coach for approximately six years within the organization.
