A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Detroit has put Michigan hockey’s long-standing reputation under a harsh new spotlight. Sixteen former players, all identified in the complaint as John Does, accuse the University of Michigan and its Board of Regents of allowing ritualized sexual hazing to go on for decades, from 1984 to 2001.
The 74-page complaint, as detailed by ESPN, describes a pattern of forced nudity, genital shaving and other degrading acts aimed at freshmen during team initiation. Some plaintiffs say the abuse crossed into sexual assault, including allegations involving razor handles, along with other physical abuse tied to their genitals. The suit says the conduct was not hidden from the program’s leadership, but tolerated.
At the center of the allegations is former coach Red Berenson, whose name looms large over Michigan hockey after 33 years behind the bench, two national championships and a place among the winningest coaches in NCAA history. The lawsuit alleges Berenson instructed players to keep the hazing concealed by shaving only “below the neck,” so nothing would show once they were dressed. Former assistant and later head coach Mel Pearson is also named, with claims that he told at least one player to “keep your head down” and “just get through it.”
The plaintiffs say fear kept them quiet. According to the complaint, they worried that speaking up could cost them playing time and hurt their hockey futures. One player says his playing time was reduced after he brought concerns to the university’s athletic director.
Berenson, now 86, told MLive that some “mishaps” may have happened among seniors, but he denied that coaches encouraged or directed any sexualized abuse. “When they say sexual, I’m guessing they’re stretching this,” he told the outlet. Pearson has not publicly responded, and the University of Michigan has not yet filed a formal response.
The case arrives during another difficult chapter for Michigan athletics, coming after the university’s $490 million settlement in 2022 over decades of abuse by former sports physician Robert Anderson. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages, along with a requirement that Michigan provide sexualized-hazing prevention training across its athletic programs. Attorney Michael Pitt said the university had known about the possibility of litigation for more than a year without reaching a resolution.
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