Tillman charged with sexual assault

[Sir Purrcival]

Standards for a civil suit are much lower than a criminal prosecution. If the family could credibly assert some kind of demonstrable distress, I'm pretty sure they could get compensation at least to provide for counseling.

[zark]

I think Belize is dead on accurate. Argo Ravi and his followers have forgotten about the girl already. Not many people in Toronto would know who he was walking down their streets. He might need a new look though.
I wouldn't want him around my kids however, or any ones kids, especially when he takes one of his 'special' pills. Their ad men should be all over this. Look what you can get away with, with just one little pill.
Good luck to the girl and Tillmans family.

[Belize City Lion]

Standards for a civil suit are much lower than a criminal prosecution. If the family could credibly assert some kind of demonstrable distress, I'm pretty sure they could get compensation at least to provide for counseling.

Does Canadian law even allow for a civil suit once a criminal trial has taken place?

[WestCoastJoe]

Standards for a civil suit are much lower than a criminal prosecution. If the family could credibly assert some kind of demonstrable distress, I'm pretty sure they could get compensation at least to provide for counseling.

Does Canadian law even allow for a civil suit once a criminal trial has taken place?

The family of the girl has shown they are inclined to forgiveness and to let it go. They do not sound like they would be interested in financial compensation. Financial compensation is the lowest of motivations anyway, and it would do nothing to repair the damage.

A civil law suit would give the entire, distressing situation that much more life. It would do the girl no good at all. A trial, testimony, dredging up the details ... Ughhhh ...

My advice would be: let it go.

If they did pursue it, they could expect some backlash in the football-crazy Regina community. Not worth it.
............

If they did launch a civil suit, the Riders would have to fire Tillman immediately IMO. That is why they should fire him now. There is still a cloud of legal vulnerability, and there will always be a cloud of moral misbehaviour in the community by a community leader, and supposed role model.

............

It seems as if the Riders management did not have a position ready regarding a decision on Tillman's future. They should have had that prepared all along the way. Now they come across as dithering ... For example, does his ability as a GM outweigh the damage he has done, and if he stayed would the damage be manageable?

It would have been better if they had a decision ready once the results of the legal action had taken place.

The longer they dither now, the worse it is. (Of course, they may have a decision in place already but are waiting the amount of time they deem appropriate before announcing it.)

If he had gone to trial and if he had been found guilty (most likely), I expect they would fire him. This situation is somewhat different. But they have announce their decision, soon ...

The longer they wait, the more it looks like they want to keep him, but are hoping public opinion will allow it. I expect if they dither long enough, public opinion (across the nation and in Saskatchewan) will sway them into letting him go.
...........

If they even have any doubts about the "wisdom" of keeping him, the doubts should be enough to decide to let him go. IMO they can have no doubts. They have to be certain.

Unfortunately for management, in the year plus since the charges, they have stayed in close contact and working relationship with Tillman. That clouds their judgment, and makes the "tough" decision even tougher.

[nelson95]

How was Tillmans behavior "loopy" in the workplace? They were troubled with him being at work but OK for him to drive home to his kids?
What is being covered up here?

[ziggy]

OK - ask yourselves this:

Make every detail in the story the same but replace "Eric Tillman, GM of the Saskatchewan Roughriders" with "Wally Buono, GM of the BC Lions".

Be honest - would your feelings still be the same?

Be honest the victim is your daughter or your wife and Wally Buono does the Tillman to her, would you still be so forgiving? Be honest!

[Blitz]

I don't expect Tillman to be caught again, the ruling sits well with me for what he and his family has endured and will have to endure from here on. Unfortunate that the babysitter has to endure as much as she has mainly due to the public image of Tillman with the Riders, which will be brought up many years down the road as announcers bring up the Tillman GC era of the Riders (one of 3 GC's for a storied franchise).

The decision of an absolute discharge, based upon a guilty plea was surprising. However, there is no question that the legal decision is only one aspect of the matter and the damage that has resulted for all parties.

I don't agree with some posters who don't believe that medications can have serious impacts. We only have to look at recent deaths of celebrities on prescription drugs. Drugs have side effects and can impact each person in a different way. If the Directors had sent him home prior to the incident because he was 'loopy' then there was something wrong. That evidence was critical.

The Riders decision will be critical for both the organization and Tillman. If they keep him his long term future in football is positive. If they fire him, it will be very difficult for him to get a GM job in the future.

[Vern Halen]

How was Tillmans behavior "loopy" in the workplace? They were troubled with him being at work but OK for him to drive home to his kids?
What is being covered up here?

No coverup - a Rider staffer drove him to his residence.

[Vern Halen]

I think it'll play out like Belize City Lion has already suggested - Riders keep him, and then Tillman then immediately resigns.

This allows him to have resigned on his resume reather than fired.

[Rammer]

I think it'll play out like Belize City Lion has already suggested - Riders keep him, and then Tillman then immediately resigns.

This allows him to have resigned on his resume reather than fired.

Why wouldn't Tillman have done that already? I am guessing the delayed BoD decision has been delayed deliberately to allow ET to make that resignation.

[Belize City Lion]

I think it'll play out like Belize City Lion has already suggested - Riders keep him, and then Tillman then immediately resigns.

This allows him to have resigned on his resume reather than fired.

Why wouldn't Tillman have done that already? I am guessing the delayed BoD decision has been delayed deliberately to allow ET to make that resignation.

My hunch is this was all worked out before Tillman went to court. He gets to resign AFTER the board announces they will keep him. That way Tillman's next employer can say "the Riders thought it was OK to keep him". If Tillman resigns first it appears that he did it to preempt being fired by the board.

[WestCoastJoe]

The medication complicates the situation. Is it credible that he did not know what he was doing? If he was "sleepwalking" would that absolve his actions in the minds of some people? It certainly seems evident that the medication removed his inhibitions, whether he was cognizant of his actions or not.

Is losing his job too harsh a punishment for his actions? In a less public job, for a less prominent organization, he could avoid losing his job. Unfortunately his job is a very public one, involving being a role model for a community, representing a team that is right at the very heart of the province. If he stayed, it would seem that his ability as a GM weighed more heavily than other matters. If he was not considered an able GM, I expect he would be gone without question.

If he had admitted his guilt at the time of the charges, I expect he would have been released (fired) immediately. The delay in the legal proceedings, and the uncertainty it created, has allowed the possibility that he could retain his job.

Even if one was not inclined to punish him on moral grounds, even if one was inclined to forgive him for his actions, because of the high profile nature of his job, and what it represents, I don't see how he can stay.

It is certainly a tragedy for all involved. 15 seconds of lunacy ...

[Lionheart]

That is only your opinion John, remember that.

It seems they are still thinking about it. My guess is they really want to keep him.. and are waiting to see which way the wind blows.

IF Tillman does end up in toronto, I'm hoping that Greg Mohns goes to Saskatchewan as their GM

[#1 Lions Fan in SK]

There is a RUMOUR that the CFL has ordered the Rider BOD to stave off a press conference until 2:00 tomorrow afternoon at which time he will be terminated and will face a suspension from the CFL. Remember, this is just a rumour at Rider Fans.

In my mind, unfortunately, this is what should happen. I don't think he has any place in the league due to the inaccuracies of his story. The prosecutor also alluded to the fact that with the plea of guilty, some facts would remain unknown. It also being said that he possibly DID drive himself home that day. I was under the assumption that a Rider staffer drove him home and wondered why they didn't stay to make sure he was okay (especially considering his kids were home and not his wife). Now I hear this ---- if true, he should be facing a DUI as well. I'm also still having an issue with taking sleeping pills before going to work and the fact that the sleeping pills obviously didn't work as he was still awake. I'm pretty mixed up on it, but think the Riders and CFL would be better off to wipe their hands clean of the whole situation. They will carry on. Eric Tillman has done a commendable job, but he is not the be all, end all of the organization and noone is irreplaceable.

JMO.