MAHA responds to lawsuit allegations

By Michael Caples –

A former district director is taking the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association to court over alleged misuse of the funding the youth hockey governing body receives from its members.

Rick Rogow, formerly the director of District 4 (primarily composed of teams in metro Detroit), is suing MAHA to request financial records which he claims will show mismanagement and inappropriate spending, according to a Detroit News article published on Aug. 28.

Within the article, Rogo says that the “association has failed to obtain competitive bids for expenditures of more than $10,000; serves alcohol it paid for at group meetings; and provides credit cards to the executive board without oversight.”

However, in a statement released by MAHA attorney Steve Stapleton, the governing body says that Rogow filed the lawsuit the same day he was notified of his pending suspension from MAHA. The information provided to MiHockey says that Rogow was not properly doing his job as a district chair, and that the lawsuit is “clearly an attempt to shift the focus from his issues.” According to the records shared, Rogow was suspended after he failed to attend a hearing with the MAHA executive committee on Aug. 26.

More from the MAHA statement:

As documented, disinterested third parties in his own District (parent/coach/administrator) have complained about his actions and the MAHA takes these complaints very seriously.  We will aggressively defend MAHA’s interest and are confident we will document that Mr. Rogow is not acting in good faith or in a manner that one could reasonably believe is in the best interests of the MAHA.

MAHA provides financial records both on their website, and in booklets given to all members at their summer meetings.