Former hockey players at University of Michigan sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-hockey-players-university-michigan-sue-say-sexually-abused-rcna597178)

Sixteen former University of Michigan men’s ice hockey players filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the university and its Board of Regents, alleging they were subjected to ritualized sexual hazing and abuse between 1984 and 2001.Key details of the lawsuit include:• The Allegations: Filed anonymously as John Does 1 through 16 in federal court in Detroit, the former players describe initiation rituals forced onto freshmen by upperclassmen. The complaint details forced excessive drinking, swallowing live fish, being stripped, and having genital hair forcibly shaved on tables in team facilities. Specific claims also describe players being taunted or burned with a blowtorch, tied to weighted helmets, and subjected to physical and sexual assaults.• Knowledge and Complicity of Coaching Staff: The lawsuit alleges that longtime head coach Red Berensonwho coached the Wolverines from 1984 to 2017and assistant coach Mel Pearson were aware of the abuse but failed to intervene. One plaintiff reported telling Berenson he did not want to participate, only for the coach to pressure him to comply by urging him to be a “Michigan Man” and a “good teammate.” The filing also alleges Berenson told older players to keep any shaving “from the neck down” so marks would not be visible under clothing.• The Response: The University of Michigan described the allegations as disturbing but denied institutional responsibility, stating that any student-athlete who engaged in hazing violated school policy, which has been formally on the books since 1982. In initial remarks, Berenson acknowledged that seniors historically ran team initiations but maintained that coaches did not promote or encourage abuse.• Context and Demands: The lawsuit, represented by attorney Michael Pitt, seeks unspecified damages as well as mandatory anti-hazing training across athletic programs. The suit follows a major 2022 settlement in which the University of Michigan agreed to pay $490 million to over 1,000 individuals over decades of sexual abuse committed by former campus sports doctor Robert Anderson.