Former Michigan hockey players sue, alleging years of sexualized hazing
· Yahoo Sports
Michigan Wolverine hockey players were subjected to ritualized and sexualized abuse as part of the program's "standard hazing traditions," a lawsuit filed by 16 former players alleges.
The 74-page complaint filed Wednesday in Detroit's federal court alleges that from 1984 through 2001, players suffered "torture" such as having their genitals tied to hockey helmets weighted with hockey pucks, being anally penetrated by the handle of a disposable razor or being stripped and left in near-freezing weather.
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The 16 former players are not identified by name in the complaint, filed by Royal Oak law firm, Pitt, McGhee, Palmer, Bonanni & Rivers.
The university and its regents are the sole parties listed as defendants in the case but the complaint alleges that legendary former head coach Red Berenson, who led the program from 1984 to 2017, "directed and facilitated" the abuse.
Generally, the alleged abuse came at the hands of upperclassmen, against lowerclassmen.
"The sexualized hazing was part of Berenson’s abusive coaching style: demanding extreme interpersonal deference, arbitrarily benching disfavored players, cultivating hostility to lowerclassmen, and other tactics that served to demoralize players to such an extent that they were desperate for approval and belonging on the team," the complaint states.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, UM said, "The allegations outlined in the plaintiffs’ complaint are disturbing, but many elements of the complaint are misleading.
"The former student athletes, who attended the university more than 25 years ago, describe behavior at the hands of fellow teammates that allegedly happened in the 1980s and 1990s," said Paul Corliss, UM's assistant vice president for public affairs and communications, in a statement. "To the extent any former student athlete engaged in hazing or other misconduct, they were violating university policy. The university denies that it is any way responsible or liable for the claims alleged."
Many of the alleged victims said that, as freshmen, they were stripped nude by older players who then forcibly shaved their genitals. Others said their pubic hair was singed with a blow torch.
'Ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic'
"Men as young as seventeen years old — new to adult life and in many cases dependent on hockey to access education at Michigan — were subjected to sexualized abuse that would be immediately recognized as torture under any other circumstance," the complaint states. "The abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic."
Members of Berenson's coaching staff, including Mel Pearson, who later became the team's head coach, were aware of the abuse and did nothing to stop it, the plaintiffs allege.
The staff allegedly treated the hazing as a form of team bonding, the complainants say, deceiving the players into believing it was a normal and mandatory part of being on the team.
In September 2024, several former team members began talking about their experiences and researching the history of hazing in the UM hockey program.
After finding that the abuse went back decades, the former players "realized that what happened was not isolated misbehavior by their peers; rather, UM hockey officials had facilitated and concealed the abuse, that the University itself had caused the sexualized hazing through its knowledge and failure to respond reasonably," the complaint states.
The former players accuse UM and the regents of sex discrimination, in violation of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972. They are seeking an unspecified amount in damages, plus attorney fees and expenses. They also request an order requiring sexualized hazing prevention training for all University of Michigan athletes.
"The university first adopted an official anti-hazing policy in 1982. It was one of the first universities in the country to do so, and it has earned its standing as a leader in this area," Corliss said in his statement. "Today, all university student athletes are required to complete annual training on university policies and protections against hazing, discrimination, and other forms of misconduct. We are committed to an environment of safety for all of our students."
An attorney for the plaintiffs didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.
The plaintiffs say the abuse caused them physical injury, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and lost professional and educational opportunities, among other damages.
"Defendants maintained a policy and/or practice of deliberate indifference to sexualized hazing between male peers based on a stereotype that 'boys will be boys,'" according to the complaint.
This is not the first time the Michigan hockey program has had issues. Pearson was fired as head coach on Aug. 5, 2022, following an investigation into the program by the WilmerHale law firm. It revealed that Pearson pressured student-athletes to lie about COVID-19 contact tracing during the 2020-21 season.
The investigation was triggered by a formal complaint filed in September 2021 by former Michigan and NHL goalie Steve Shields, who was a Michigan volunteer coach at the time. The program was described as a “toxic work environment.”
Recent UM athletics incidents
The suit filed Wednesday is the latest to hit Michigan, which has been involved in scandals and investigations involving athletics in recent years.
The university spent nearly $12 million on legal fees to investigate the firing last December of head football coach Sherrone Moore, who allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant, as well as a study of the athletic department’s culture.
Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel is stepping down on Dec. 31, 2026, and will receive a lump payment of $7,143,346, according to his settlement with the university.
Under his watch, there have been two NCAA investigations into UM football since 2021. During the 2023 national championship season, the NCAA opened an investigation into an illegal scouting scheme orchestrated by staffer Connor Stalions. Ultimately, former head coach Jim Harbaugh was given a 10-year show cause order, and Moore was suspended two games during the 2025 season and was to sit the first game of this season. Michigan also was fined $30 million and given four years of probation.
This followed an NCAA investigation into illegal recruiting that started in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harbaugh served a school-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the 2023 season and the program was placed on three years' probation.
Following the 2022 season, Matt Weiss, a co-offensive coordinator with Moore on Harbaugh’s staff, was fired after it was alleged he hacked into the personal accounts of thousands of college athletes and stole intimate photographs and videos from 2015-23. Weiss faces 14 federal counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each computer charge and two years on each identity theft charge.
Former basketball coach Juwan Howard, hired by Manuel, confronted Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard in the handshake line after a game in February 2022. The discussion became heated, and Howard struck a Wisconsin assistant coach in the face. Howard was suspended the final five games of the regular season by the Big Ten and fined $40,000. Michigan did not levy any additional punishment. He was fired in March 2024.
The Dr. Robert Anderson sexual abuse scandal surfaced at Michigan in 2018 when a former athlete sent a letter to Manuel detailing decades-old abuse. WilmerHale also handled this investigation, and a $490 million settlement with victims was reached in 2022.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Former Michigan hockey players sue, alleging years of sexualized hazing