Centerplate CEO ousted after dog-kicking incident

SAN DIEGO — Stadiums and other venues that employ Centerplate for food and beverage concessions have been informed that the ouster of the company’s CEO will be announced on Tuesday.

Desmond Hague, CEO of the Connecticut company, was caught on an elevator surveillance camera in Vancouver in late July, kicking and choking a small dog. The video sparked outrage across the nation with the caterer’s customers, including those at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Centerplate chief operating officer Chris Verros, who has 35 years in the food-services industry, is to be named acting CEO.

The announcement of Hague's resignation will close a tumultuous 10 days for the CEO and the multibillion-dollar company he has managed since 2009.

In a draft news release obtained by U-T Watchdog, Joe O’Donnell, chairman of the board of directors for Centerplate, reiterated that the company did not condone Hague's misconduct.

“Following an extended review of the incident involving Mr. Hague, I’d like to apologize for the distress that this situation has caused to so many; but also thank our employees, clients and guests who expressed their feelings about this incident," the draft release says. "Their voices helped us to frame our deliberations during this very unusual and unfortunate set of circumstances.”

Hague was seen kicking the year-old Doberman pinscher repeatedly and jerking the leash hard enough to lift the animal off the floor of the elevator.

An employee of the Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver was upset with what was shown on the tape and provided a copy to the British Columbia office of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and to news outlets in British Columbia the week before last.

U-T Watchdog reported the incident Aug. 25, in an account that was then picked up across the U.S.