Michigan Coaches Knew About Sexualized Hazing: Players' Suit

Rituals that players say crossed far beyond hazing and into "torture" are now at the center of a federal lawsuit against the University of Michigan's storied hockey program. Sixteen former players filed suit in Detroit alleging that, from 1984 to 2001, younger team members were routinely stripped, forcibly shaved, penetrated with razor handles, and subjected to other sexualized acts by veterans on the team. USA Today reports the complaint says coaches knew about the behavior, tied participation in the abuse to a player's standing on the team, and told those who objected to "be a Michigan man." The plaintiffs are not named in the filing.

Michigan disputes the claims and its liability, with a spokesman calling parts of the complaint misleading and stressing the school's anti-hazing policies, first adopted in 1982, and current mandatory training. Former coach Red Berenson told MLive on Thursday that coaches had no involvement in sexualized hazing in the program, saying initiation activities were led by the players. "We knew there was a certain element of initiation on our team, and it was usually orchestrated by the seniors," Berenson said. "We didn't promote it. We didn't question it. We didn't encourage it."

The former players said they've endured years of fallout, including addiction and depression, and are seeking unspecified damages plus mandatory anti-sexual hazing training for all athletes, per USA Today. Berenson and the university announced the end of freshman hazing on the team in 2012, partly, he said, because of concerns about hazing being raised nationally.