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

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM 
michigandaily.com

MAX WADLEY & JOSH TAUBMAN

Summer Managing Sports Editors

Read more at michigandaily.com

Matt Schembechler will be speaking at a press conference regarding Dr. Anderson Thursday. ALEC COHEN/ Daily 

LILY GOODING

Summer Daily News Editor

