Former Michigan Hockey Players File Federal Lawsuit Over Decades-Long Hazing
Sixteen former University of Michigan hockey players filed a federal lawsuit in Detroit on September 11, alleging the program forced them to shave their genitals, engage in excessive drinking and endure other hazing rituals between 1984 and 2001. The suit targets the university and its Board of Regents, seeks damages and calls for anti-hazing training, while the university has denied any liability.
Earlier reports on September 9 also described the filing and the same allegations. The plaintiffs’ complaint, filed by law firm Pitt, McGhee, Palmer, Bonanni & Rivers, names former coaches Red Berenson and Mel Pearson among those responsible, and university spokesperson Paul Corliss reiterated the institution’s position that it bears no responsibility for the alleged conduct.
