Former Michigan hockey players allege coaches ignored years of abusive hazing rituals
Fox News • • sports
Key Points:
- Sixteen former University of Michigan men’s hockey players filed a federal lawsuit alleging sexual abuse and hazing rituals between 1984 and 2001, including forced genital shaving, excessive drinking, and eating live fish.
- The lawsuit accuses former head coach Red Berenson of knowing about the abuse and pressuring players to participate, though Berenson denies involvement and disputes the characterization of the conduct as sexual abuse.
- Berenson ended "freshman hazing" in 2012, acknowledging some captains had gone too far, but maintains no complaints were made to him during his tenure.
- The University of Michigan called the allegations "disturbing" but denied responsibility, emphasizing its longstanding anti-hazing policy adopted in 1982.
- The lawsuit follows recent discussions by former players and may face challenges due to the time elapsed; Michigan previously settled a separate $490 million sexual misconduct case involving another sports doctor.
