The former leader of a Hamilton youth soccer league is the subject of a complaint over Islamophobic social media posts that has been forwarded to the sport's provincial governing body.

Paul Gesse, a celebrated member of the local amateur scene, had been president of the Hamilton and District Multi-Jurisdictional Soccer Club League until his resignation.

But Gesse didn't throw in the towel over the complaint, Tom Walsh, president of the Hamilton and District Soccer Association, which oversees the league, said Tuesday.

"He resigned because he's been doing it for 30 years and he decided this about three or four months ago. He decided running the league, doing all this stuff was taking time away from his family."

Walsh said he couldn't remember when the local association received the complaint but noted it was forwarded to the Ontario Soccer Association, which is the governing body.

Gesse, a local soccer Hall-of-Fame inductee, has shared several anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant posts on Facebook this year.

• One in April maintained "People who eat pork are less likely to blow themselves up."

• A post in May claimed Muslim families are "sucking on your welfare state."

• Another in May targeted "Liberal Minister Navdeep Bains, a (sic) Indian born Sikh" for "telling Canadians what they can and cannot do online."

• In September, a doctored image of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dressed as Robin Hood was captioned "Muslim Hood steals from Canadian taxpayers and gives to Muslims."

The Ancaster Soccer Club "previously reported its concerns" to the Hamilton and District Soccer Association board, president Stefano Girgenti said in an email Tuesday. "As a result, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time."

A spokesperson for Ontario Soccer confirmed the organization is looking into the complaint. "At this time, it is under review and being processed. We have no further comment at this time," Ben Rycroft wrote in an email.

Gesse didn't respond to requests for comment, nor did members of the local league's board.

The Hamilton and District Multi-Jurisdictional Soccer Club League, also known as the Hamilton MJ League, is based in the city but has teams in other nearby communities, as well. The oldest players compete in an Under-18 division while the youngest are in an Under-9 age group, according to its website.

Kojo Damptey, acting head of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, said the material on Gesse's timeline is "obviously overtly racist" and hate speech.

"All of those things are informing how you interact with people that practise the faith of Islam," he added. "So you can't just devoid yourself from an ideology that you are presenting."

James Turk, chair of the Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University, called the messaging "despicable" but argued it would fall short of the legal definition of hate speech.

The posts target an identifiable group and are shared on Facebook, which is a public space, but a court isn't likely to agree they'd lead to a breach of the peace, Turk said.

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"There has to be a pretty direct relationship," he said, noting the rhetoric doesn't instruct people to beat up Muslims, which would meet the threshold under Canada's criminal code. "But that doesn't mean you just let it pass. Somebody like that you take on; you may demand that he be fired."

Asked what he thought about the subject material, Walsh demurred, reiterating his association received the complaint and passed it on to Ontario Soccer.

"Paul has been part of the soccer scene for many, many years," he added. "It is the one and only complaint we've ever received about the gentleman."

Damptey said the content on Gesse's Facebook timeline is not unlike the rhetoric of anti-immigrant protesters that have held regular rallies outside city hall for more than a year.

"This is how hate breeds," he said, adding the city should have banned the protests when the issue was raised last year.

This past Saturday, several Sons of Odin, an anti-immigration group, gathered outside city hall, where pro-diversity advocates also rallied as police hovered.

In June, extremist Christian preachers, toting anti-LGBTQ placards, and white nationalists crashed Pride celebrations, leading to violence.

In July, city officials began exploring ways to prevent "hate incidents" in the forecourt, including a draft bylaw that was panned by some for "criminalizing protest."

Last month, Mayor Fred Eisenberger convened the first of what's to be a series of meetings with groups affected by hate crimes aimed at generating ways to counter prejudice.

tmoro@thespec.com

905-526-3264 | @TeviahMoro

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