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Timbers' vendor places dog-kicking CEO on probation, creates Sade Foundation named after the dog [The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. :: ](Oregonian (Portland, OR) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 27--Centerplate Inc. chief executive Desmond "Des" Hague has been placed on indefinite probation and will donate $100,000 toward establishing a foundation in the name of the dog he is shown abusing in an elevator video, the company's board of directors announced Wednesday. Hague will also serve 1000 hours of community service in support of an organization that protects the welfare and safety of animals, the board said in a statement issued by its public-relations agency. The punitive actions against their dog-kicking CEO, however, stopped short of calling for his termination. Hague has admitted to being the person shown in an elevator video repeatedly kicking a dog then lifting the dog into the air by its leash. Hague has described the dog as belonging to a friend. Authorities in Vancouver, B.C., where the incident happened and Hague faces possible criminal charges, have said he is the owner. Either way, Hague has apologized for his actions. Centerplate, which Hague has led since 2009, serves as the food concessionaire at Providence Park, home of the Timbers, Portland Thorns and Portland State football. The Centerplate board's statement called Hague's behavior exhibited in a video taken in late July as "erratic" and said it "is uncharacteristic of him." In addition to the suspension and creation of a foundation, the board will be given a written censure and "any further acts of misconduct would result in immediate termination." The Sade Foundation, as it will be called, will "help support the protection and safety of animals in the city of Vancouver where the incident occurred," the statement says. It says the company will contribute a portion of its sales to the foundation. Here is the company's full statement: Centerplate Issues Statement Following Internal Review of Animal Cruelty Incident Involving CEO Des Hague--Censures, Penalizes and Places CEO on Indefinite Probation Centerplate's Board of Directors recently convened a special meeting following the completion of an internal investigation and review of an incident involving animal cruelty by its CEO Des Hague. We pride ourselves as individuals and as a company on how we treat others--both humans and animals. The company finds Mr. Hague's personal behavior unacceptable and outside the bounds of our high standards and expectations of all of our staff. We do not condone nor can we overlook the mistreatment of animals and Mr. Hague's personal misconduct. Thus, upon internal review of the incident, and recognizing that Mr. Hague is truly ashamed of his actions and has expressed sincere remorse and shame for erratic behavior that is uncharacteristic of him we have decided to take the following immediate actions: Mr. Hague will be given a written censure by the Board whereby he will be placed on indefinite probation stating that any further acts of misconduct would result in immediate termination. As a condition of his continued employment with Centerplate, Mr. Hague will personally donate $100,000.00 USD which will be donated towards the establishment of the Sade Foundation in honor of the dog he mistreated in the elevator to help support the protection and safety of animals in the city of Vancouver where the incident occurred. Further, we are requiring Mr. Hague to serve 1000 hours of community service in support of an organization that serves to protect the welfare and safety of animals. Centerplate in no way condones the mistreatment of animals, and as a strong sign of our conviction, we the company will also contribute a portion of our sales to the Sade Foundation. Additionally, we will open this foundation to all Centerplate employees and the general public who want to support and contribute in the hope that meaningful change can come out of this tragic situation. Mr. Hague still faces potential charges in Vancouver, where he is personally responsible for charges and fines in relation to the incident. Earlier Wednesday, the Portland Timbers issued a statement urging Centerplate to "take appropriate and decisive action" in dealing with the Hague. The Timbers issued the statement as some fans were suggesting a concessions boycott until Hague is replaced. The Timbers' statement: We share the outrage of many of our supporters regarding the recent video that surfaced of Centerplate CEO Des Hague's mistreatment of a dog in an elevator. Please understand that we have a quality local team of more than 100 Centerplate employees whose employment the Timbers have direct recourse over should any issue arise. In addition, the Centerplate team at Providence Park hires a large number of local nonprofits each game and concession sales are a vital part of those nonprofits' fundraising efforts. In terms of this situation, our current Centerplate contract is a legally binding agreement and we need to operate within the parameters it allows. We have urged Centerplate to take appropriate and decisive action here. When the contract expires we will carefully review whether Centerplate is a company with which we want to continue to associate. The Timbers actively seek to partner with companies that share our commitment to community outreach and ethical behavior. This is the first issue we have had with Centerplate in our 10+ year relationship with them. Centerplate is a global company with hundreds of accounts like us. Centerplate has dozens of clients ranging from museums to airports -- Dulles International, LaGuardia and Hilo International -- to colleges, including Harvard, Yale and the University of Colorado. Their clients also include arenas and sports venues around the United States and Canada. At the Rose Quarter, the Trail Blazers selected Levy Restaurants of Chicago last July for a multi-year contract as food service vendor for the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Five companies bid for the foot and beverage services contract. A Blazers spokesman declined to identify the other bidding companies. Previously, Ovations Food Services of Lutz, Florida, near Tampa, was the Rose Quarter and Rose Garden food and beverage provider from 2005 through June 2013. This story will be update throughout Wednesday. -- Allan Brettman ___ (c)2014 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |