After receiving a good deal of backlash for signing Mitchell Miller, the Boston Bruins have chosen to part ways with the 20-year-old defenseman. Now, the victim of Miller's bullying in school, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, has shared his perspective on the matter.
The Arizona Coyotes selected Miller in the 2020 NHL Draft, but the team rescinded the pick after it came to light that a juvenile court had convicted Miller of bullying and assaulting Meyer-Crothers, a Black and learning disabled student, in 2016. Miller was accused of directing racial slurs at Meyer-Crothers, physically abusing him, and tricking him into eating candy that had been wiped in a urinal.
Just days after the Bruins chose to end their agreement with Miller, Meyer Crothers released a statement through the Hockey Diversity Alliance in which he explained what Miller put him through, as well as the current state of his relationship with the defenseman.
Meyer-Crothers describes some of the bullying he faced at the hands of Miller. That included being subjected to racial slurs, being told he had white parents because his Black parents didn't love him, and being physically assaulted.
In his statement, Meyer-Crothers asserts that Miller reached out to him on various forms of social media to apologize. Meyer-Crothers says that, when he finally responded, Miller asked why his parents were speaking on his behalf.
"Middle of October, I was being texted constantly everyday till I answered a Snapchat and IG message from Mitchell Miller," Meyer-Crothers wrote. "He asked me why I always have my parents doing stuff for me and why I can't speak for myself.
"I told him I don't care what my parents say I'm old enough to speak for myself."
Meyer-Crothers says he demanded proof that Miller had been working to better himself by getting involved in the community, but Miller was unable to provide any. Ultimately, Meyer-Crothers said that Miller is not his friend, no matter what Miller or anyone else says.
"Mitchell isn't my friend. It hurts my heart what he did to me," Meyer-Crothers wrote.
"So I just wanted to tell everyone - when Mitchell says we're friends it isn't true.
"I can't take more of this."
Bruins president Cam Neely has since said that the team "failed" by signing Miller without doing more work to find out how "unhappy" it would make people.
