Senators suspend assistant GM charged with harassment

The Ottawa Senators have suspended assistant general manager Randy Lee, two weeks after he was charged with harassment over an incident during a scouting trip in Buffalo.

Lee was charged with second-degree harassment of a 19-year-old hotel shuttle driver in Buffalo during the NHL's pre-draft scouting combine two weeks ago and is due in court on July 6.

In a statement released Friday, general manager Pierre Dorion said the organization will "always hold our leaders, coaching staff, players and employees to the highest standards of behaviour."

Dorion said the team is working with authorities in Buffalo as well as Lee's lawyer to ensure he is granted due process.

"Until now, the Senators had never been made aware of a complaint against Randy, whether before or during his 23-year career with the team. He must be allowed to address the allegations against him through the court system," Dorion said in a statement.

But he said those allegations are unlikely to be resolved until his court date.

"We believe the best way to live our values and enforce our standards of behaviour is to suspend Randy Lee until the allegations against him are ruled upon by the courts," he wrote.

The suspension applies to Lee's work with both the Ottawa Senators and the AHL team in Belleville.