A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Detroit has put Michigan hockey’s long-standing reputation under a harsh spotlight, with 16 former players accusing the university and its Board of Regents of allowing sexual hazing to persist for years.
The plaintiffs, identified only as John Does, say coaches and staff knew about and tolerated ritualized abuse from 1984 to 2001. According to the 74-page complaint detailed by ESPN, the allegations include forced nudity, genital shaving, and other degrading acts aimed at freshmen during team initiation. Some of the former players also say they were sexually assaulted with razor handles and subjected to additional physical abuse involving their genitals.
The suit says former coach Red Berenson told players to hide the hazing by shaving only “below the neck,” so nothing would be visible after they dressed. 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.
The complaint also names former assistant and later head coach Mel Pearson. Plaintiffs say he told at least one player to “keep your head down” and “just get through it.”
Several players say they stayed quiet because they feared retaliation, including less playing time and harm to their future hockey opportunities. One plaintiff says his own playing time was reduced after he brought concerns to the university’s athletic director.
Pearson has not publicly responded to the allegations, and the University of Michigan has not yet filed a formal response.
The lawsuit comes during another difficult stretch for Michigan athletics. In 2022, the university reached a $490 million settlement over decades of abuse by former sports physician Robert Anderson.
The former players are seeking unspecified financial damages and want Michigan to require 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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