GRAND FORKS — A lawsuit filed by a former youth hockey coach against the Grand Forks Youth Hockey Association was dismissed Monday in Grand Forks County District Court.
Scott Voigt, who was seeking the removal of GFYHA's leaders after being barred from on-ice activities, filed a 163-paragraph complaint alleging that the association and its leaders “engaged in fraudulent and dishonest conduct, committed serious abuses of power and discretion, and violated the Grand Forks Youth Hockey Association's articles of incorporation, policies, and North Dakota law,” according to a statement of the case. Voigt also made a second claim that the defendants “breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care and obedience to the GFYHA.”
Named as defendants in the suit are the Grand Forks Youth Hockey Association, President Eric Fabian, Vice President Sean Endres, Secretary Cathy Schaving, Treasurer Jordan McIntyre, Trustee Jeff Groben, Trustee Charles Jacobi, Trustee Jennifer Schultz, the Grand Forks Blue Line Club and the Grand Forks Park District.
“The Court finds that Voith's claims are frivolous as alleged and unjustified under current law, and that no frivolous arguments exist to extend, amend or overturn current law or enact new law,” Judge Don Hager of the Northeast Central District of North Dakota wrote in his order granting the defendants' motion to dismiss. “The requirements of this claim are clearly set forth in the Corporations Act and GFYHA's articles of incorporation.”
Voigt, a former hockey player at the University of North Dakota, represented himself in the lawsuit. He claimed he had collected the signatures of 65 GFYHA members in support of his legal efforts.
The judgment dismissing the lawsuit states that the court will order the plaintiff to pay the defendant's reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
Fabian, whose term as GFYHA president expired after Voigt was banned from on-ice action for a year, confirmed to the Herald on Tuesday that his group would not be commenting on the matter.
Voigt said Tuesday he was disappointed by his firing but not necessarily surprised.
“This was a novel legal approach that I was forced to take given that (the members) were unwilling to make their names public for fear of retaliation,” Voigt said.
In a Herald story published in February, Voigt shared an email from the GFYHA board of directors saying he was informed on Dec. 13, 2023, that he would not be able to coach during the 2023-24 hockey season because of his actions on Nov. 30, 2023, toward GFYHA Executive Director Brad Lack.
The bone of contention between Voigt and Luck was the tryout procedures for the under-10 girls' hockey team that Voigt coaches, Voigt said in February.
