Montreal Alouettes release Oakman after CFL suspends defensive lineman indefinitely

TORONTO — The Montreal Alouettes will have a huge hole to fill Saturday when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Division semifinal.

Montreal released towering defensive lineman Shawn Oakman on Friday. The move came shortly after the CFL suspended the six-foot-eight, 280-pound American indefinitely for violating its Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Policy.

“We hold everyone in our organization to the highest standard of integrity and respect both on and off the field,” Montreal GM Danny Maciocia said. “We’ve decided to release Shawn Oakman because his actions go against our core values.”

The CFL said in a statement it was made aware Thursday of allegations involving the 33-year-old Oakman and immediately initiated a third-party investigation. That included interviews with both Oakman and the complainant.

According to the CFL, the investigation revealed that following a dispute, Oakman threatened to send sexually explicit material to an intimate partner’s child, who is a minor. The league added Oakman’s actions constitute a breach of its Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Policy.

“The Canadian Football League takes violations of our Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Policy with the utmost seriousness,” CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement. “Our policy is clear, and our commitment to enforcing it is unwavering.

“Following review, we have made the decision to suspend Mr. Oakman indefinitely.”

It its statement, the league said it condemns gender-based violence in all of its forms. That includes but isn’t limited to intimate partner violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment and verbal abuse, coercive control, as well as the disrespectful and demeaning attitudes that foster violence or the tolerance of such violence.

“Whether these behaviours occur in public or private, gender-based violence will not be tolerated by the CFL,” the league said.

Oakman appeared in 17 regular-season games this season. He registered 34 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles and this week was named to the Divisional All-CFL East team.

Oakman began his CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 before being released early in the 2024 campaign. He was signed by the Edmonton Elks and played in 14 games that year before signing with Montreal as a free agent in February.

Oakman appeared in 76 CFL regular-season games, recording 156 tackles, one special-teams tackle, 27 sacks, an interception and five forced fumbles. He won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2022 and was named an East Division all-star three times.

Montreal later amended its depth chart for Saturday’s game, listing first-year player Kori Roberson Jr. at defensive tackle alongside veteran Dylan Wynn. The six-foot-four, 294-pound Roberson appeared in seven regular-season contests this year, registering eight tackles.

Roberson was originally listed as Oakman’s backup earlier Friday. Defensive back Robert Kennedy III will replace Oakman on Montreal’s active roster.

Both Roberson and Kennedy are Americans.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2025.