16 former U-M hockey players file lawsuit, allege pattern of sexualized hazing
WXYZ Channel 7 • • sports
Key Points:
- Sixteen former University of Michigan hockey players have filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were sexually abused as part of hazing traditions between 1984 and 2001.
- The lawsuit describes graphic abuse, including forced genital shaving, tying testicles to equipment, and instances of anal penetration, which the players say was ritualized and sadistic.
- The former players claim that head coach Red Berenson and assistant coach Mel Pearson were aware of the abuse, with Berenson allegedly instructing players to shave from the neck down to conceal the hazing.
- The complaint states that the university normalized and concealed the abuse, dismissing prior complaints and failing to take responsibility despite some players reporting the incidents.
- Mel Pearson was previously fired as head coach amid scrutiny over multiple complaints, and Berenson had announced an end to freshman hazing in 2012, though the abuse reportedly continued before that time.
