Matt Schembechler, the son of
former Michigan football coach
Bo Schembechler, will be speaking
at a press conference on Thursday
afternoon about “his own abuse
by Dr. Anderson and his father’s
failure to protect him and other
athletes,” per a release from the
Anderson Survivors Legal Team.
Last month, the University of
Michigan released a report from
legal firm WilmerHale regarding
the investigation into allegations
of decades of abuse by former
Michigan doctor Robert Anderson.
The report also found allegations
that Schembechler failed to take
action when alerted of abuse by
multiple athletes.
The
report
also
implicated
former
athletic
director
Don
Canham,
another
towering
figure in U-M sports history and
Schmbechler’s
contemporary,
for allegedly having been alerted
to Anderson’s abuses. Anderson
worked at the University from the
1960s until 2003.
Matt Schembechler sued his
father, the University of Michigan,
and campus police in Jan. 1999
over a scheme to sell old seats from
Michigan Stadium as souvenirs.
The lawsuit was eventually thrown
out in federal court.
Schembechler will be joined by
former Wolverine football players
Daniel Kwiatkowski (1977-1979)
and Gilvanni Johnson (1982-1986),
who allege abuse by Anderson as
well. Kwiatkowski and Johnson
are two of the anonymous student-
athlete sources in the WilmerHale
report.
One former student athlete in the
report questioned Schembechler
about Dr. Anderson’s methods but
according to the student athlete,
Schembechler told him to “toughen
up.” The student athlete told the
UM Department of Public Safety
and Security (DPSS) that “you do
not mess with Bo, and the matter
was dropped.”
Another former student athlete
told DPSS that, “his position coach
used the threat of an examination
with Dr. Anderson as a motivational
tool. (WilmerHale) interviewed the
coach, who denied the allegation.”
The failure of the Athletic
Department to protect students
from abuse by those in authority
goes beyond the football team. A
former track athlete alleged that
former coaches Jack Harvey and
Ron Warhurst both “‘laughed’ and
refused” when the student asked
to see another physician after
Anderson “(groped) his genitals.”
Both Harvey and Warhurst deny
the allegation.
At the end of the report’s
section
entitled
“Instances
of
Potential Awareness in the Athletic
Department,”
WilmerHale
concluded that there was a pattern
of misconduct by Anderson that
was perpetuated for decades.
Most damning, however, was
WilmerHale’s observation of the
Athletic Department as a whole in
light of the misconduct allegations:
“no Athletic Department personnel
took any action, initiated any
inquiry, or referred Dr. Anderson
for investigation….the fact that
no one took meaningful action is
particularly disturbing in light of
the nature, scope, and duration of
Dr. Anderson’s misconduct.”
Last week, current football head
coach Jim Harbaugh, who played
for
Schembechler
from
1983-
1986, said that he didn’t believe
Schembechler would have sat on
information regarding Anderson.
“Well, I can tell you this,”
Harbaugh said. “Bo Schembechler
— there was nothing that I saw
during the times I was a kid here,
my dad was on the staff, or when
I played here — he never sat on
anything. He never procrastinated
anything. I mean, he took care
of it before the sun went down.
That’s the Bo Schembechler that
I know.
“Nothing was ever swept under
the rug or ignored. He addressed
everything in a timely fashion.
That’s the Bo Schembechler that
I know.”
The University of Michigan’s
LSA Student Government (LSA
SG) met virtually in a special
meeting on Wednesday night
to debate and pass a proposed
resolution condemning violence
against the Palestinian people
and what some members believed
to be a system of apartheid in
Israel.
The
resolution,
coded
as
R F2021.06, says that it is
LSA
SG’s
responsibility
to
represent Palestinian students
on campus and to help the
student population become more
educated on the oppression of
Palestinians.
“LSA SG urges other members
of
the
U-M
community
to
collectively work together to
educate
themselves
on
the
issue of the persecution of
the Palestinian people, uplift
Palestinian voices on campus,
and protect community members
who use their first amendment
rights to criticize the Israeli
government in a legitimate way,”
the resolution reads.
The
special
meeting
was
called after the resolution was
discussed and then tabled at a
May 26 regular meeting. The
motion to table the resolution
until
Wednesday
narrowly
passed 11-10 with 3 abstaining.
At the same May 26 meeting,
LSA SG unanimously passed
a separate resolution, coded
R F2020.05, condemning the
recent rise in antisemitism.
“LSA SG stands in solidarity
with all Jewish members of our
community during this period of
increased hate,” the resolution
reads. “In the pursuit of anti-
racism, LSA SG commits itself
to actively addressing any and
all instances of antisemitism on
campus and will seek to partner
with relevant student groups
such as Michigan Hillel to
identify such instances.”
Thursday, June 10, 2021
INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 112
© 2020 The Michigan Daily
NEWS ....................................
OPINION................................
MiC.........................................
ARTS.......................................
STATEMENT..........................
SPORTS.................................
ARTS
My Octopus Teacher
The Best Documentary
of the 93rd Academy
Awards provides life
through an unlikely lens
>> SEE PAGE 8
NEWS
Hantavirus Case
First Michigan hantavirus
case identified in an adult
female
>> SEE PAGE 2
OPINION
Blame Goodwill
Reselling thrifted cloth-
ing is a complex topic as
there is captilastic greed
>> SEE PAGE 5
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
The calm of the
storm
Hating the rain, especially
thunder, Roshni learns the
connection it can bring
>> SEE PAGE 7
SPORTS
All-conference
recognition
Michigan baseball team is
well represented on this
year’s all-Big Ten teams
> SEE PAGE 12
inside
2
4
6
8
10
12
Schembechler’s son to speak on Anderson abuse,
alleging Bo knew and didn’t take action
LSA Student
Government passes
resolution condemn-
ing Israeli violence
against Palestinians
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Matt Schembechler will be speaking at a press conference regarding Dr. Anderson Thursday. ALEC COHEN/ Daily
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Summer Daily News Editor