Sources: Lawsuit against Argos, quarterback Chad Kelly resolved through mediation

TORONTO — A lawsuit filed against quarterback Chad Kelly and the Toronto Argonauts by a former assistant strength-and-conditioning coach has been settled.

Two league sources said the agreement was reached through mediation involving all of the parties. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity as there was no formal announcement about the resolution being reached.

There was also no indication regarding specific details of the settlement.

The coach was seeking $80,000 from Kelly and a total of $85,714 from the Argos. TSN also reported the coach was seeking an additional $10,000 worth of punitive damages.

The Canadian Press does not publish the names of alleged victims of harassment or sexual assault unless granted permission.

Last month, the CFL suspended Kelly for both of Toronto’s exhibition games and at least nine regular-season contests for violating its gender-based violence policy. The suspension followed an independent investigation into the lawsuit filed by the former coach against both the player and club.

Under terms of the suspension, Kelly must undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert. Both the counselling sessions and assessments must be satisfactorily completed before the CFL will consider Kelly’s reinstatement, adding it reserves the right to modify his discipline.

Kelly, 30, was the CFL’s outstanding player last season after leading Toronto to a league-best and franchise-record 16-2 record. But the Argos’ season ended with a 38-17 home loss to eventual Grey Cup-champion Montreal in the East Division final.

The CFL’s decision to launch its investigation came after the complainant filed a statement of claim with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleging a pattern of harassment by Kelly, beginning with unwanted romantic advances and escalating into instances of threatening language.

The coach said the Argos did not act when told of Kelly’s behaviour. The complainant said she was informed in January her contract with the club would not be renewed.

The complainant had joined the franchise in 2018 and said her contract had previously been continually renewed.

Not long after the CFL announced the suspension, Kelly was on the field during Toronto’s rookie camp at the University of Guelph. He wasn’t in equipment and didn’t practise with the club.

On May 16, Kelly announced he was withdrawing from Toronto’s camp, adding he “will take full advantage of this counselling opportunity to learn, grow and better myself.”

“At the same time, I want to support the Argonauts organization as it prepares for the season and have made the decision to withdraw from training camp to minimize distractions for the team and to put in the work to earn both reinstatement in the CFL and everyone’s trust,” he said in the statement. “I look forward to getting back on the field soon.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press