Michigan athletics faces new scrutiny as a federal lawsuit accuses the university and well-known former coaches of condoning sexually abusive hazing among the men's hockey team.
The Ann Arbor-based university denies misconduct, noting the allegations stem from more than 25 years ago. But the lawsuit suggests leaders knew and did not prevent actions that left at least 16 former hockey team members traumatized for life.
Here's what we know.
Who filed the lawsuit?
A Royal Oak-based law firm filed the lawsuit Wednesday, Sept. 9, on behalf of 16 people who say they previously played men's hockey at U-M. None of the people is identified by name, instead referred to as John Doe 1-16.
One of their lawyers, Michael Pitt, told the Detroit Free Press, "They want accountability but
they want their privacy to go with their efforts to achieve accountability."
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
What does the lawsuit say?
The lawsuit says the 16 men were subjected to graphic, grotesque sexual hazing while young members of the team. Typically, the accounts say older members of the team performed the hazing on the younger members within the first few months of the new people joining the team.
The alleged misconduct is jarring: Trainers lined up tables for young players to lie on, after which older players shaved their genitals, according to the lawsuit. Some players had razor handles inserted into their anuses, while others reported players using blowtorches to singe their pubic hair, according to the lawsuit. Older players also allegedly tied hockey helmets to younger players genitalia and then filled them with hockey pucks.
Multiple former players also said in the lawsuit they were forced to swallow live goldfish. During much of this alleged abuse, younger players were provided copious amounts of alcohol, according to the lawsuit. At one point, the lawsuit likens the alleged abuse to torture.
"The abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic," the lawsuit states.
Most if not all of the alleged abuse is attributed directly to former players on the hockey team. None of them is named. The lawsuit does specifically reference former coaches Gordon "Red" Berenson and Mel Pearson, saying they were not only aware of the abuse, they condoned it.
"Berenson instructed upperclassmen to shave only 'from the neck down,' so the abuse would be invisible when [the former players who are now suing] were clothed. The sexualized hazing was part of Berenson’s abusive coaching style: demanding extreme interpersonal deference, arbitrarily benching disfavored players, cultivating hostility to lowerclassmen, and other tactics that served to demoralize players to such an extent that they were desperate for approval and belonging on the team," the lawsuit states.
Neither former coach is officially sued. The lawsuit is specifically against the university and the university's board of regents, the leadership group that oversees the school.
What does U-M say?
Late Wednesday, U-M spokesman Paul Corliss issued a lengthy statement denying responsibility for the alleged abuse.
"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," Corliss said.
"The 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."
What do the coaches say?
Berenson coached the team for more than 30 years, including the entire time referenced in the lawsuit. A former NHL player, he's a member of the university athletics hall of honor and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
A Free Press reporter spoke briefly with Berenson on Thursday, Sept. 10.
"No, I'm not going to comment on it," Berenson said in a phone call. "I just read the story myself, so I'm trying to look into it myself." Then he hung up.
In 2012, Berenson publicly announced the end of freshman hazing.
“We’ve taken all of the little freshmen things out of our program,” Berenson said at the time, according to the Ann Arbor News. “It’s hard enough to make the transition as a freshman without going through some of that. It’s borderline embarrassment or humiliation.”
Pearson worked under Berenson as an assistant coach from the late 1980s to 2011, when he became head coach of the Michigan Tech men's hockey team. He returned to Michigan in 2017 to take over after Berenson retired, but his contract was not renewed in 2022 after an investigation into a litany of allegations related to the culture of the program.
The Free Press called multiple phone numbers and sent questions to email addresses tied to Pearson. He has not responded.
What does this mean for U-M?
This is only the latest serious allegation involving the university's athletic department, coming at a tumultuous time for the department and university leadership.
Earlier this year, the university paid $1.2 million to a woman who accused a former U-M football staffer of sexual abuse. The university also paid a private law firm more than $12 million to investigate the athletic department's culture after the 2025 firing of former football head coach Sherrone Moore. Moore was fired in connection to a longtime affair with a subordinate; he later faced criminal charges after he went to the woman's home the say day he was fired. He ultimately pleaded no contest to lesser charges.
After releasing a university-edited summary of the law firm's findings, U-M also announced Athletic Director Warde Manuel would leave at the end of the year. And earlier this month, the university formally confirmed C. Cybele Raver as its new president.
Matthew Weiss, a former co-offensive coordinator for the football team, still faces federal criminal charges. Prosecutors allege he hacked into computers at more than 100 universities across the country and stole the identities of more than 3,300 student athletes. Weiss has pleaded not guilty, but a slew of civil lawsuits accuse Weiss, university leaders and others of failing to protect student athletes.
What happens next?
The university will almost assuredly hire private lawyers to defend it in federal court, as it has done many times in the past. Typically, the lawyers file a formal response to the original complaint. That response usually asks a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, outlining various reasons why they believe the case should not proceed.
At any point, the university and former players could reach a settlement. Generally, that would mean U-M pays them money. However, Pitt said the university has been aware of the allegations in the lawsuit for at least a year and declined to settle.
Where can I find the lawsuit?
Here's a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the Free Press.
Staff writers Tony Garcia and Adrienne Roberts contributed to this report.
Dave Boucher is an investigative reporter with the Detroit Free Press. Reach him at dboucher@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Michigan hockey players allege sex abuse in lawsuit. What we know
