Kim Pegula via Flickr Creative Commons by Penn State Live is seen here with her husband Terry. The couple owns the Buffalo Sabres. Kim is co-chair of the NHL Executive Inclusion Council
The Dallas Stars fired employee Alex Kleuser after he compared Chinese people to squirrels in a post on social media.
Kleuser was responding to a post regarding squirrel infestations in homes on the website Nextdoor. He said tactics like moth balls or cayenne pepper will only push squirrels away, but not get rid of them. He said, “So it doesn’t really solve the problem, it just makes it someone else’s problem,” according to Dallas News. Kleuser then said, “These squirrels are like the Chinese, they just keep coming.”
According to ESPN, Kleuser’s LinkedIn showed that he was the team’s visual effects designer since 2018. Kleuser’s LinkedIn is no longer available online.
The Dallas Stars said in a statement “This individual’s statement does not represent the culture and values of the club. As such, this employee is no longer a part of the organization,” according to ESPN.
NHL announced last week that they created the Executive Inclusion Council, which exists to promote and ensure diversity within the league and its fanbase. The council will be co-chaired by Korean American businesswoman Kim Pegula.
Pegula also serves as the co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres with her husband Terry Pegula.To confront issues of racism and discrimination in the NHL, seven current and former players also announced they are creating the Hockey Diversity Alliance. According to the NHL, the group is not officially a part of the organization but might work in alliance with them.
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