Sixteen former University of Michigan hockey players allege in a 74-page federal lawsuit that they were subjected to sexualized hazing that had become a standard part of the program’s culture for nearly two decades.
As reported by mlive.com, the complaint was filed Wednesday in federal court in Detroit. It alleges players, identified only as John Does, endured “sadistic” abuse between 1984 and 2001, including having their genitals forcibly shaved and having the handles of the razors inserted into their anuses. Multiple players allege their pubic hair was singed with a blowtorch, while others said their genitalia were tied to a hockey helmet that was filled with pucks.
"The university and its board of regents are the only defendants, but the lawsuit claims that legendary coach Red Berenson and longtime assistant Mel Pearson knew about and encouraged the abuse," mlive's Ryan Zuke reported.
Berenson compiled 848 wins, the fourth-most in NCAA history, while leading the Wolverines to 11 Frozen Four appearances and two national championships from 1984-2017, Zuke added. Pearson served as an assistant under Berenson from 1989-2011 before succeeding him as head coach in 2017.
“Berenson instructed upperclassmen to shave only ‘from the neck down,’ so the abuse would be invisible when plaintiffs were clothed,” the lawsuit states. “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 university responded to the allegations Wednesday night.
“The allegations outlined in the plaintiffs’ complaint are disturbing, but many elements of the complaint are misleading,” university spokesman Paul Corliss said. “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 in any way responsible or liable for the claims alleged.
“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.”
According to the complaint, former Michigan players began discussing their experiences in September 2024 and later concluded the alleged abuse was not isolated to a single team or era. They “realized that what happened was not isolated misbehavior by their peers; rather, UM hockey officials had facilitated and concealed the abuse, that the University itself had caused the sexualized hazing through its knowledge and failure to respond reasonably,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit also points to a widely publicized 1980 hazing incident involving the Michigan hockey program, arguing the university was on notice of the risk of “physically violent and dangerous hazing” before many of the plaintiffs arrived on campus, Zuke reported.
The plaintiffs — represented by Royal Oak law firm Pitt, McGehee, Palmer, Bonanni & Rivers — allege the abuse caused physical and psychological injuries, diminished educational and professional opportunities, lost earnings and other damages.
The lawsuit accuses UM and the regents of sex discrimination under Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount in damages, plus attorney fees and expenses. They are also requesting an order requiring sexualized hazing prevention training for all UM athletes.
In 2012, Berenson said hazing traditions within the program had been eliminated, while acknowledging they had existed in previous years.
“I’ve never liked the whole hazing thing,” Berenson said at the time, according to The Ann Arbor News, published in print and online at mlive.com. “I think some of the players think it’s a chance to get back at what happened to them and they want to make it worse rather than better and so on, so I’ve taken it right out of our program.”
Pearson was fired as head coach in August 2022 following an investigation into the program by outside law firm WilmerHale, made no allegations of hazing in its report, Zuke reported.
