The Aporia · Former University of Michigan hockey players sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago

Former University of Michigan hockey players sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago

Read the original at The Globe and Mail ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

White, E. (2026, September 15). Former University of Michigan hockey players sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-former-university-of-michigan-hockey-players-sue-say-they-were/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Former University of Michigan hockey players have filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging that they were subjected to severe sexual hazing, including forced genital shaving and other abuses by teammates, during their time playing between 1984 and 2001. The plaintiffs claim that coach Red Berenson was aware of the abuse but did not intervene, despite players reporting incidents to him. In response, the university denies responsibility while asserting its early adoption of an anti-hazing policy in 1982 and emphasizing the voluntary nature of reported misconduct by team members.

Written by AI on 2026-09-15, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

More than a dozen former University of Michigan hockey players are suing the university, alleging that they were subjected to sexual hazing by teammates and that coaches and staff were aware of the abuse. The plaintiffs, who played between 1984 and 2001, claim that enduring this abuse was required for membership on the team. The lawsuit alleges that players were forced to shave their genitals and endure other forms of sexual misconduct.

Attorney Michael Pitt stated in a sex discrimination lawsuit filed in federal court in Detroit that the abuse was "ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic." The university responded by denying responsibility and asserting that any hazing or misconduct violated its policy. University spokesperson Paul Corliss noted that Michigan first adopted an official anti-hazing policy in 1982, emphasizing their commitment to addressing such issues.

The lawsuit emerged from conversations among former teammates in 2024 and includes 16 male plaintiffs alleging systematic abuse during their time on the team. The university faces potential legal challenges similar to those it faced in 2020 when former athletes sued over sexual misconduct by a campus sports doctor, with the defense arguing that the plaintiffs waited too long to file their claims.

Written for “Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Hockey Players” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

22%

5 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

52/100

The Globe and Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Other

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-15 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Globe and Mail · 1030 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

2026-10-30

Morning Update: Canada prepares for a more dangerous world

2026-10-29

Morning Update: Canada, EU deepen ties without the label

2026-10-29

Morning Update: Toronto gives Chow another term

2026-10-28

Morning Update: Canada’s UAE balancing act

2026-10-26

Morning Update: B.C. shifts right

2026-10-25

Woman dies a day after release from New Brunswick correctional centre

2026-10-23

Morning Update: Joly pushes back

2026-10-20

Morning Update: Alberta chooses to stay

2026-10-14

Morning Update: Albertans go to the advance polls

2026-10-09

Morning Update: Nobel Peace Prize goes to Navanethem Pillay

2026-10-08

Morning Update: Canada reshapes future of MAID

2026-10-06

Morning Update: Quebec elects the PQ

2026-10-04

Morning Update: Pilot attacked fellow pilot in Israel-bound flight

2026-10-02

Morning Update: A pipeline in the national interest

2026-10-01

Morning Update: Pilot attacked co-pilot in Israel-bound flight

2026-09-28

Morning Update: Security experts call for Havana Syndrome probe

2026-09-25

Morning Update: Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi

2026-09-24

Morning Update: Kenneth Law sentencing hearing begins

2026-09-22

Morning Update: Still seeking answers after synagogue shooting

2026-09-19

Morning Update: Selling a new alliance

2026-09-15

Morning Update: We need more than money

2026-09-14

Morning Update: Broadening our economic horizons

2026-09-11

Morning Update: Gander remembers, 25 years later

2026-09-10

Morning Update: A long wait for trade talks

2026-09-09

Morning Update: Adversity ahead

2026-09-08

Morning Update: Say hello to Canadian countertariffs

2026-09-07

Morning Update: Tumbler Ridge survivors file new lawsuits

2026-09-06

Morning Update: Made-in-Canada trains

2026-08-31

Ontario plan to stop mandatory inquests for inmate deaths a mistake, advocates say

2026-08-31

Morning Update: Mapping new points of resistance

2026-08-28

Morning Update: Lake Ontario forever

2026-08-27

Morning Update: Rethinking resources as a trade weapon

2026-08-26

Morning Update: Ottawa bites back

2026-08-25

Morning Update: A new trade deal remains in the cards

2026-08-24

Morning Update: ‘You are at war when you get attacked’

Who wrote this

Ed White

11 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 He quit his job, withdrew money from the bank and canceled the ring order, telling the jeweler that he would soon leave the country, said lawyer Tyler Banks of the Indiana attorney general’s office.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Indiana governor is urged to let death sentence proceed against man who killed 2 kids in fire

🔮 “None of this could be done by just one man,” Torrez said.

2026-10-21 · assertive framing · New Mexico attorney general accuses Epstein attorney, accountant of abuse cover-up at ranch

🔮 Frank Strada, commissioner of the Department of Correction, would step down this month, Lee said.

2026-10-03 · assertive framing · Tennessee’s prisons chief to resign after failed execution of Christa Pike

🔮 Frank Strada, commissioner of the Department of Correction, will step down this month, Lee said.

2026-10-03 · assertive framing · Tennessee's prisons chief is resigning after failed execution of Christa Pike

🔮 An olive ridley turtle — maybe the same one — laid eggs on Sept. 19, a few miles away near the Huntington Beach Pier in Orange County, authorities said.

2026-09-22 · assertive framing · Agency says sea turtle eggs laid on California beaches are a first for the US West Coast

🔮 We couldn't tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened," Sobeck said.

2026-09-18 · assertive framing · F-16 crashes during training in Michigan; pilot ejects safely

🔮 The university could argue that the hockey players waited too long to file a lawsuit, a position it took in 2020 when former athletes sued over sexual misconduct committed decades earlier by a campus sports doctor.

2026-09-15 · mixed framing · Former University of Michigan hockey players sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago

🔮 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vows to slow mining efforts in 'sacred' Boundary Waters wilderness Trump administration lifted federal mining ban 4 months ago Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday said the state would not review or process permits on proposed mining projects in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, four months after the U.S. Congress and President Donald Trump's administration lifted a federal ban.

2026-08-19 · assertive framing · Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vows to slow mining efforts in 'sacred' Boundary Waters wilderness

Also by Ed White

Indiana governor is urged to let death sentence proceed against man who killed 2 kids in fire

2026-10-28 · The Independent

Indiana governor is urged to let death sentence proceed against man who killed 2 kids in fire

2026-10-28 · Toronto Star

New Mexico attorney general accuses Epstein attorney, accountant of abuse cover-up at ranch

2026-10-21 · Toronto Star

Tennessee’s prisons chief to resign after failed execution of Christa Pike

2026-10-03 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 11 articles by Ed White →

Topics

Detroit Michigan Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey The Associated Press the University of Michigan

Subjects

Berenson PERSON · 4× Michigan GPE · 2× Detroit GPE · 1× John Doe 3 PERSON · 1× John Doe 7 PERSON · 1× Michael Pitt PERSON · 1× Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey ORG · 1× Paul Corliss PERSON · 1× Red Berenson PERSON · 1× the University of Michigan ORG · 1×

Narrative

More than a dozen former hockey players are suing the University of Michigan, alleging their coach and other staff were aware of sexual hazing that included the forced shaving of their genitals and other abuse by teammates decades ago.

framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-15

2026-09-15 · The Globe and Mail

Former University of Michigan hockey players sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago · mixed framing

Claims (23 extracted, 5 hedged)

that → sue → teammates

“The abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic. ... asserted

abuse → plan → ?

Enduring sexual abuse was required to be a member of the Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey team,” attorney Michael Pitt said in a sex discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Detroit. asserted

Pitt → require → Detroit

The plaintiffs are 16 men who played at Michigan between 1984 and 2001. asserted

who → play → 1984

The lawsuit apparently grew out of conversations among several former teammates in 2024. asserted

lawsuit → grow → 2024

The university said the allegations are “disturbing,” but denies responsibility. asserted

allegations → say → responsibility

“To the extent any former student athlete engaged in hazing or other misconduct, they were violating university policy,” spokesperson Paul Corliss said in a written statement. asserted

Corliss → engage → statement

“The university first adopted an official anti-hazing policy in 1982. asserted

university → adopt → 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,” he said. asserted

he → do → area

The 72-page document describes players being forced to consume excessive amounts of alcohol and eat live fish. asserted

players → describe → fish

A common allegation: They were forced to have hair around their genitals shaved by teammates. asserted

hair → force → teammates

A player identified as John Doe 7 said he was taunted with a blowtorch while on a table. asserted

he → identify → table

The lawsuit says Red Berenson, who was coach from 1984 to 2017, was aware of the abuse and did not intervene. asserted

who → say → abuse

John Doe 3 said he told Berenson that he didn’t want to participate in the hazing. asserted

he → say → hazing

The coach coerced him by telling him to be a “Michigan Man” and a ”good teammate,” according to the lawsuit. uncertain

coach → coerce → lawsuit

Berenson, 86, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. asserted

Berenson → decline → Press

He told MLive.com there was a “certain element of initiation” by the team’s seniors, but no one had complained to him. “Were there some mishaps? asserted

one → tell → him

Possibly, but it wasn’t a matter of direction or encouragement from the coaching staff or from the administration,” Berenson, a former NHL player, said. uncertain

Berenson → say → administration

“When they say sexual, I’m guessing they’re stretching this,” he said. asserted

he → say → this

Berenson announced the end of “freshman hazing” in 2012, mostly referring to first-year players being forced to carry equipment and eat team meals last. asserted

players → announce → meals

He made no mention of physical abuse but acknowledged “captains that got too carried away,” according to news reports at the time. uncertain

that → make → time

The university could argue that the hockey players waited too long to file a lawsuit, a position it took in 2020 when former athletes sued over sexual misconduct committed decades earlier by a campus sports doctor. uncertain

athletes → argue → doctor

The university ultimately agreed to pay US$490-million to settle claims by more than 1,000 people. uncertain

university → agree → people