Sixteen former University of Michigan hockey players have filed a lawsuit against the university and its board of regents, alleging they were sexually abused as part of hazing traditions.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Detroit, is from 16 former hockey players who played at the University of Michigan between 1984 and 2001.
"Plaintiffs played for the University of Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey Team between 1984 and 2001. During that period, the Hockey Program adopted sexualized abuse as part of its standard hazing traditions," the lawsuit reads.
In the complaint, the former players alleged the graphic and disturbing alleged abuse, which included the forced shaving of genitals, tying men's testicles to hockey helmets or buckets weighed with hockey pucks, and in some cases, anal penetration.
"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 abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic," the lawsuit reads.
According to the complaint, the players allege that the hazing was known to former head coach Red Berenson, who coached the Wolverines from 1984 through 2017. They allege that Berenson instructed upperclassmen to shave "from the neck down" so it would not be visible when the players had clothes on.
They also allege that then-assistant coach Mel Pearson told players to "keep your head down" and "get through it" when one player reported the abuse.
Pearson, who was also the head coach for the Wolverines from 2017-2022, was let go as head coach after pressure and scrutiny over complaints made by multiple sources, including former players.
The complaint also mentions that in 2012, Berenson announced the end of "freshman hazing." A Michigan Daily article from the time reported that Bereson said "We’ve taken the freshmen things out of our program. There’s no more freshmen carry the pucks, no more freshmen load the bus, freshmen eat last. They’ve earned the right to be here.”
"At the time of the abuse, the vast majority of players believed their peers were responsible for the initiation—they were not aware of the role of Red Berenson and other officials in facilitating and concealing the abuse. Players did not realize and could not have realized the University’s responsibility for the abuse. They did not have reason to know that others had previously complained to the University about the abuse. Nor did they have any way to know how the University responded to those prior complaints. The few players who did complain were met with dismissal. University staff normalized the abuse and conveyed to players that it was no big deal," the lawsuit reads.
The University of Michigan released this statement on Thursday. It reads:
"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. 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. T
he 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. 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.
You can read the full lawsuit below. Caution, there are graphic details.
