Physical and psychological abuse: a basketball coach denounced by ex-players

Several former women’s basketball players denounce the acts of physical abuse, psychological harassment and verbal violence committed by their well-known former Quebec coach over the past thirty years.

Our Bureau of Investigation met with seven women who say they were victims of coach Danny Vincent’s methods during their adolescence or early adulthood. Hands on the buttocks, degrading comments on their physical appearance and objects thrown in the face are among the gestures alleged by his victims.

Vincent was fired after viewing pornography at school, we learned.

For thirty years, he was still able to continue teaching in several establishments in the Montreal region, the Mauricie region, and even elsewhere in Canada without being disturbed (see other text).

Sexual relations

One of the best basketball players that Quebec has produced, Élise Caron, wanted to tell her story openly.

In an interview that will air tonight on the show Ithe former elite player claims that Vincent declared his love to her when she was 15 or 16 years old, at Rocher high school in Shawinigan.

“It was as if I was an object and that I belonged to him,” says the former player met in North Carolina, where she now resides, after playing in the first division of the famous American NCAA.

Barely 18, she had sex with him, of which she has painful memories (see other text).

“Without saying that I am white-legged, I have never, ever slept or had any … touching with someone who was not 18 years old” affirmed Danny Vincent, during an interview with an hour on the phone.

His memory, however, is less faithful when he discusses the unsolicited gestures that his players reproach him for.

“It may have happened. I remember being a physical education teacher and I went to the principal’s office because a student complained that I had kicked him on the buttocks with a racket,” he said.

attempted suicide

Some players claim to have made suicide attempts, others have sunk into all sorts of abuse for which they partly blame their former coach.

“I attempted suicide. I was followed for two years. I was exhausted from his stress, his manipulations and his control, ”confessed one of his ex-students, who testified on condition of anonymity.

Porn in Cegep

After a stormy passage at Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, where his actions were denounced to the management (see other text), Danny Vincent quickly found a new coaching job at Cégep Montmorency, in Laval in 2010.

However, his behavior got him in trouble there too. An internal investigation revealed that Dany Vincent used the coaches office computer to search for pornographic content.

At the end of the investigation, he lost his job in 2012. The one nicknamed Pico claims to have signed a confidential agreement which allowed him to continue teaching basketball without being caught up in his past.

“They said to me, ‘Danny, we’re ending our deal. Don’t worry if you want references, we’ll be there. We know that you are someone available, competent. We have nothing illegal against you,” Danny Vincent said over the phone.

Collège Montmorency denies having signed such an agreement. On the contrary, management claims to have reported Danny Vincent’s behavior to the Laval police. This denunciation had no consequences.

WHO IS DANNY VINCENT?

• 46 years
• Nicknamed Pico
• From Grandma
• Basketball coach since 1992
• Program Founder Danny Vincent Basketball (DVBBALL)
• Four provincial youth championship titles at Rocher high school
• Assistant coach during the victory of the Nomades du Collège Montmorency at the Canadian Championship in 2011

“It was really pure manipulation” -Élise Caron

Danny Vincent’s alleged abuse of Élise Caron drove the young girl to the edge of the abyss, so much so that she considered suicide.

“I have traveled the furthest, the furthest dark squares you can think of, she says. If I hadn’t gone to the hospital to ask for help, I’m not sure I would be here to tell you about it.”

Danny Vincent followed him throughout his school career. It was during her time with the Lynx du Cégep Édouard-Montpetit in Longueuil that her coach’s grip tightened on her.

“It was really pure manipulation. All my life, it was in relation to Danny, ”laments Élise Caron.

At 18, she had her first sexual relationship with her trainer. She claims that she was incapable of consenting to it because of the control he exercised over her.

“It wasn’t something I wanted. When I left their home, I was in distress. I was running in the street,” she recalls.

Complaint

She filed a sexual assault complaint with the Longueuil police, but the investigation did not lead to charges against Danny Vincent.

Élise Caron had known the coach a few years earlier at Rocher high school in Shawinigan. The player had quickly become a star in the region.

Already, it aims to reach the most prestigious American leagues.

“It was a vicious cycle, because the more basketball I did, the more I saw Danny. Except the better I got, the better chance I had to walk away […] there was no exit.”

Élise finally left for the United States after finishing her CEGEP. It was during her second year of college that she fell into a deep depression.

Today, she has rebuilt her life south of the border, but has never forgotten the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-coach.

Complaints in three schools

At least three establishments have received reports from players regarding the behavior of Danny Vincent over the past thirty years. However, the coach was able to chain jobs, despite police investigations targeting him and a dismissal.

Rock High School 1992-2004

At Rocher high school in Shawinigan, a student we met reported to the vice-principal, Jocelyne Spain, “violent gestures and remarks on a regular basis”.

She couldn’t take Danny Vincent’s inappropriate comments about her and her teammates any longer.

Ms. Spain acknowledges having been made aware of the behavior alleged against Danny Vincent. She says she made a report to her immediate superior, who would have taken charge of the file.

“When I found out about it, I’m sure of that, I mentioned it. I’m sure,” she said. Ms. Spain assures that “there have been actions” undertaken.

We contacted the current management of the Rocher secondary school. She declined to comment, “considering that no member of the school administration was in office at the time Mr. Vincent acted as coach.”

Cegep Edouard-Montpetit 2004 to 2009

Two former students claim to have denounced the inappropriate behavior of their coach to the Director of Student and Community Affairs, Monique Magnan.

“Don’t worry, Danny won’t know you’ve spoken or written to us. […] He knows he can’t go after you like he did this year. He had several warnings […] There can no longer be excess like this year. He knows very well that it will not be tolerated, ”writes M^me Magnan in an email dated 2007 that we have consulted.

Contacted by our Investigation Office, Ms.^me Magnan first indicated by email: “While I was stationed at Collège Édouard-Montpetit, I received no denunciation from students.”

When confronted about it in person, she said she only “did things to protect” female students.

The Cégep Édouard-Montpetit de Longueuil refused our interview requests, explaining that no member of the management of the time is currently in post.

The cégep affirms that no complaint or denunciation of students concerning Danny Vincent has been brought to the attention of the management.

Montmorency College 2010-2012

In 2012, Collège Montmorency terminated Danny Vincent’s employment after an internal investigation. He looked at pornography in a room intended for coaches.

“We met him, he confessed his wrongs twice and we fired him on the spot. We acted with great diligence,” writes Collège Montmorency in an email sent to I.

The college informed the Police Department of the City of Laval, a process undertaken at the time “to prevent a situation involving Danny Vincent from recurring in our community or in other educational establishments”.

However, no charges have been brought against the coach. In response to an access to information request, the Service de police de la Ville de Laval indicated that the report written at the time was destroyed in accordance with their records retention schedule.