OSHAWA -- Oshawa teen Billy Steele had a question for his idol Don Cherry: "How many ties do you have?"
Billy, 17, spoke to Mr. Cherry on a break from volunteering as a cameraman for Rogers TV at the General Motors Centre on Jan. 13 during the OHL skills competition.
"I was never told I wasn't allowed to talk to him," said Billy. "He was such a nice guy."
But it's that conversation which has given the company running the centre, Global Spectrum, cause for banning Billy from working as a volunteer for Rogers inside the GMC.
"We have rules and regulations set up for the safety of our patrons, athletes, and stars," said Global Spectrum spokesman Ike Richman from his office in Philadelphia, PA.
"We've talked to him numerous times and this young man seems to not want to adhere to procedures."
Billy's father, Bill Steele, says the U.S. run company is picking on his son.
"I admit sometimes Billy has a hard time following directions properly," Mr. Steele said. "But this is workplace discrimination. My son has a severe learning disability."
"We don't blame Rogers," Mr. Steele said. "The company has been great to Billy. They've stood by him."
He admits this isn't the first time Billy's run into trouble at the GMC.
When he first began volunteering two months ago, Billy took a couple of his friends into a restricted area.
"He was told not to do it again, and Billy knows not to now," said Mr. Steele. "He just needs things to be explained to him."
When asked about the incident, Mr. Cherry said he is "infuriated" with Global Spectrum.
"I resent the fact that (they've) brought my name into firing a young kid who comes up and asks me about my ties," he said.
Billy says he was told by Rogers TV that he had been reassigned to work on other sporting events the day after his chat with Mr. Cherry."I like working with Rogers," Billy said. "But I wanted to be a cameraman with the OHL because I love hockey."
Billy has attended every Oshawa Generals home game since being reassigned.
"Security follows me around the building," Billy said. "They say I'm a troublemaker."
On Jan. 25 Billy carried a sign reading 'Murphy Sucks' into the game. The commentary, in reference to the netminder of the Belleville Bulls, was confiscated by security personnel and destroyed.
Witness Dale Chilvers said Billy was told the sign was inappropriate.
"They followed him and my son to the bathroom. I would say Billy was targeted," Mr. Chilvers said.
"I think if they take it away he should have been able to go after the game and pick it up. But they destroyed it. The sign was ripped into shreds in a ton of pieces."
Global Spectrum at the GM Centre referred inquiries about Billy's situation to Mr.Richman in Philadelphia. Mr. Richman said Billy has been spoken to numerous times about rules and regulations, and Global Spectrum's goal is to protect the safety of patrons, athletes and stars.
Rogers Television in Oshawa declined comment, but a spokesperson in Ottawa said there are no written rules against approaching celebrities, at the same time "common sense" applies when volunteers are working on a production crew.
Bill Steele, Billy's father, has launched a lawsuit against the city of Oshawa and Global Spectrum for $100,000 over the sign being torn up.
He has also filed a Human Rights complaint alleging workplace discrimination in light of his son's learning disability.
As for Billy, he said he's upset because he's not been given another chance to work at the GM Centre. The hockey fan said his goal is to one day work as a cameraman for Toronto Maple Leafs games.
--with files from Torstar News Service
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