Former Michigan hockey players file federal lawsuit alleging decades of sexual hazing
Sixteen former University of Michigan ice-hockey players have sued the university, claiming the program tolerated ritualized sexual abuse and hazing from the mid-1980s to 2001, which the school denies.
Sixteen former members of the University of Michigan men's ice-hockey team filed a federal lawsuit in Detroit on Sept. 9, alleging that ritualized sexual abuse and hazing were practiced within the program for more than three decades. The complaint says younger players were stripped, forcibly shaved, and subjected to other invasive acts by older teammates, and that coaches were aware of the conduct between 1984 and 2001 and required participation as a condition of staying on the team.
The lawsuit states that players who complained were discouraged with remarks such as “be a Michigan man” and faced reduced ice time. It also alleges that the program concealed the abuse and misled athletes about its nature.
University of Michigan spokesperson Paul Corliss called the allegations “disturbing” but “misleading,” saying the university is not liable for any misconduct by former student-athletes. He noted that the school adopted an anti-hazing policy in 1982 and now requires annual training for all student athletes.
Representing the plaintiffs, attorney Michael Pitt said the former players seek monetary damages and mandatory sexual-hazing prevention training for all university athletes, while also requesting privacy for the claimants.
The lawsuit references longtime coach Red Berenson, who led the program from 1984 to 2017, and cites a 2012 statement in which he said the team had eliminated freshman hazing. An earlier external investigation into the hockey program identified cultural issues and resulted in the dismissal of former coach Mel Pearson, though it did not specifically address hazing.
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny of the university’s handling of misconduct within its athletics programs.