Who is Kevin Whitmer, former San Jose Sharks coach accused of alleged child abuse? Looking at allegations around his arrest

Kevin Whitmer, a former hockey coach with ties to the San Jose Sharks organization, is facing serious allegations of alleged child abuse.

The lawsuit filed against him details his tenure as a head coach, private skills instructor and player development coach for kids aged eight to 18, spanning nearly six years.

Kevin Whitmer, a resident of Denver, previously worked with the San Jose Jr. Sharks and the Colorado Thunderbirds. His behavior reportedly raised red flags among parents and players. During his time with the Jr. Sharks, players reportedly referred to him as a "pedo," while parents expressed discomfort with his behavior.

In 2018, the program supervisor of the Jr. Sharks informed Sharks Ice, the owners of the San Jose Sharks, that Whitmer regularly took the keys to the locker room for his private lessons without consent or awareness.

Whitmer was previously arrested in November 2023 for alleged sexual assault of a minor.

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A look at the recent lawsuit against Kevin Whitmer

A recent lawsuit has once again brought to light disturbing allegations against Kevin Whitmer. According to Kron4, Whitmer has been accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct, including touching players under the guise of medical evaluations.

The lawsuit alleges that Whitmer "groomed" his players before taking advantage of them both in person and online. Whitmer allegedly took the victim into the locker room alone, where he would engage in inappropriate behavior and demand photos, including ones of the victim's semen, under the guise of evaluating their fitness.

Mark Boskovich, the plaintiff's lawyer, emphasizes the importance of enforcing policies like those outlined in USA Hockey's SafeSport Program Handbook, which require a second responsible adult to be present during any individual meetings between a minor and an adult in a locker room.

“The San Jose Sharks organization that enabled the abuse engaged in cover-up type behavior," Boskovich said.

"They had information they withheld from parents of sharks players that could have prevented this from happening. If these complaints had been taken seriously sooner this could have all been prevented.”

“We normally see kids who are abused reach out much later in adulthood because it’s so difficult to come forward with this type of information. So, this is one of those rare cases where a child has actually reached out when they were still a minor,” he added.

The lawsuit seeks justice for the victims and aims to hold both Kevin Whitmer and the Sharks organization accountable for their roles in covering up the alleged abuse.