This is a gut punch to read, honestly. Sixteen former University of Michigan hockey players are suing the school, alleging a horrifying culture of sexual hazing and abuse by teammates that included forced genital shaving. This wasn’t some isolated incident, folks; attorney Michael Pitt described it as “ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic,” stating that enduring this sexual abuse was “required to be a member of the Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey team.” It’s just plain sickening.
The Alarming Details of Decades of Alleged Abuse
These claims aren’t from last year or even five years ago. The plaintiffs are 16 men who played for Michigan between 1984 and 2001, meaning this alleged abuse spanned decades. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Detroit, apparently grew out of conversations among several former teammates way back in 2024. That means these guys have been carrying this with them for years, finally coming together to bring this to light. It really makes you wonder what goes on behind closed doors in some of these programs, doesn’t it?
Coach Knew, University Denies Responsibility
The spotlight is now firmly on former coach Red Berenson, who led the team from 1984 to 2017. The lawsuit specifically says Berenson was aware of the abuse and did nothing to intervene. He’s 86 now, and he declined to comment Thursday, only saying, “Give me a chance to absorb what’s going on.” Talk about a tough look. It gets worse: Berenson did announce an end to “freshman hazing” in 2012, but he only mentioned stuff like carrying equipment and eating meals, not physical abuse. He acknowledged “captains that got too carried away” back then, but obviously, if these allegations are true, he missed a massive part of the story. The university, through spokesperson Paul Corliss, called the allegations “disturbing” but flat out denied responsibility. Corliss claimed that any misconduct violated university policy, pointing out they adopted an anti-hazing policy in 1982. It’s tough to hear that when 16 men are coming forward with such awful stories.
This isn’t the first time Michigan has been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations, either. In 2022, the university settled claims from over 1,000 people who said a sports doctor sexually assaulted them over nearly 40 years, paying out a massive $490 million. That kind of history just makes these new allegations even more unsettling. This new lawsuit is just kicking off, and everyone will be watching closely to see what unfolds and what kind of accountability, if any, the university faces next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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