The Minto Sports Complex, home of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men's hockey team, is shown in Ottawa on Monday, March 3, 2014. Several members of the University of Ottawa hockey team say a court filing by the school has once again smeared them through "murky and salacious" accusations. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA - Several members of the University of Ottawa hockey team say a court filing by the school has once again smeared them through "murky and salacious" accusations.

The members are suing the university for purportedly damaging their reputations by suspending the entire hockey program in March 2014 after allegations of sexual assault surfaced.

Two other team players were later charged with sexually assaulting a female student at Lakehead University during a tournament in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The university says in a statement of defence in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that it acted carefully and reasonably in deciding to suspend the hockey program.

The statement says the university was alerted Feb. 23, 2014, by a Lakehead student that team members had allegedly sexually assaulted her friend or watched the assault taking place earlier that month. In addition, she said, another team member was so drunk that he had to be hospitalized.

The university informed police and, after meeting with the team's coach, suspended him on Feb. 27. On March 3, the school suspended the varsity men's hockey program.

Within days, the university hired a workplace investigator who reviewed relevant documents, interviewed 10 of 26 team members, the coach, the Lakehead student who tipped off the school and an RCMP constable, according to the statement of defence. At the request of Thunder Bay police, the investigator did not interview the alleged victim of the sexual assault.

In May 2014, the investigator reported to the school that:

— at least three players had intercourse with the woman at the hotel where the team was staying;

— relations with one player were consensual, but it could not be determined whether acts with the other two were consensual;

— several other team members, in various states of undress, watched — or were present in the room — while the latter two players had relations with the woman. Some of these players may have played a role in the activity or touched the woman.

— Most of the team members had consumed large amounts of alcohol, resulting in one being sent to a hospital emergency room. Upon learning of the suspected alcohol poisoning, the coach sent four players to the hospital to help out.

In their formal reply to the court, team members involved in the class-action suit say the university's information "effectively clears 11 players from any involvement" in the alleged misdeeds since they were either not in Thunder Bay or were at the hospital.

"Nevertheless, all members of the team were tarnished with the same label of having engaged in sexual misconduct."

The "unfortunate part" is the fact the university did not exonerate the 11 absent players at the outset, said Lawrence Greenspon, lawyer for those in the class action.

The players suing say their action is not about the power of the university to suspend a team.

Rather, it is about the school's decision to call a news conference two years ago and "tarnish the reputations of all members of the team" with unfounded allegations.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016