ANN ARBOR (WWJ)—The family of late University of Michigan head football coach Bo Schembechler has released a statement in an attempt to dispel his son’s Matt Schembechler’s allegations that Bo knew about the Dr. Robert Anderson’s abuse and did nothing to stop it.
The university had called upon the independent WilmerHale law firm for an “independent, comprehensive review of what happened during the doctor’s long career.”
Dr. Robert Anderson, who died in 2008, worked at Michigan from the mid-1960s through 2003. The earliest reports date all the way back to 1975. The university believes he assaulted athletes, mostly men, during routine physicals and injury exams.
Schembechler, who lead the team from 1969 to 1989 with a career record of 234-65-8, died in 2006.
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The statement signed by Bo's wife Cathy Schembechler, son Glenn Schembechler III, and Glenn's wife, Megan Schembechler, is as follows:
There are many ways to take the measure of a man, especially one as scrutinized as Bo Schembechler. You can judge him by his coaching record, the wins and losses give the illusion of a tidy summary. You could look at him by looking at the caliber of the people he surrounded himself with over his four decades of coaching, the teams, coaches, and staff who played for and worked with him, many of whom never fell out of touch with Bo. You could assess him through the testimonials of many of those individuals who have in recent days spoken out in defense of his memory and legacy. Perhaps you could get a sense of Bo Schembechler by talking to the hundreds – thousands more likely – of people whose lives were enriched by his enduring presence long after their playing days were over.
We, however, measure Bo Schembechler by different standards, as a devoted husband and a father. We remember him in those intimate family moments that pass unnoticed to others but are indelibly stamped in our memories. We remember him at moments of celebration shared with the world, but also during quiet moments of advice and counsel. We remember that – even during the height of the season – Bo would come home for dinner to share stories of what had happened to him that day and to ask about our days.
That Bo Schembechler was, and remains, deserving of our admiration and our love. It is telling to us that Bo never spoke to any of us about inappropriate behavior by Dr. Anderson. To the contrary, in our steadfast opinion, Bo was not aware of such conduct and assumed that any procedures were medically appropriate. As he demonstrated at many points in his career and to us as a family, Bo had a clear and compelling sense of right and wrong: he would not have tolerated misconduct, especially toward any of his players, family members, coaches or to anyone associated with the University of Michigan’s football program. If Bo had known of inappropriate conduct, we are certain that he would have stopped it immediately, reported it, and had Dr. Anderson removed from the University.
Some will argue that the absence of proof is not definitive in situations such as these, but it is noteworthy that a 240-page report done by an outside, independent law firm retained by the University to look into Dr. Anderson’s conduct examined similar allegations but did not substantiate those claims.
As painful as the last few days have been, we are confident the facts – and the truth – will ultimately win the day. We are confident that the veracity of each accuser will be examined, and that appropriate weight will be given to the sad reality that one of our family members has been for decades estranged from us and has on numerous occasions made unfounded and false accusations against Bo and other family members including pursuing legal actions that have been repeatedly rejected.
Bo Schembechler was father and husband. A devoted Christian. He was inspiring, demanding, loyal, a fierce defender of his extensive family and a taskmaster who pushed everyone around him to be better, to be the best version of themselves possible. He pushed himself harder than anyone. He believed in integrity, honesty and kindness; he despised dishonesty and cruelty. His accomplishments – and the positive impact he had in the lives of so many people around him – are examples to study and to emulate. We are grateful to everyone who has stepped forward to defend his memory. We are proud to bear his name and to bear witness for a life well-lived.
The attorneys of survivors of Dr. Anderson's abuse, Mick Grewal and Stephen Drew, released the following response:
“Dr Anderson was able to continue his abuse for three decades supported by a culture that placed the reputation of the University above the health and safety of its students.
That is the culture that made Bo Schembechler a legend and placed his statue in front of Schembechler Hall. It is not surprising to hear some members of his family say that ‘Bo never spoke to any of us about inappropriate behavior by Dr. Anderson’. That is the problem. Bo did not tell them. In fact, he did not tell anyone. Cathy, Glenn and Megan were not even around in 1969 when Matt Schembechler first disclosed Anderson’s abuse to Bo and his boss Don Canham.
While it is understandable that they wish to erase the stain of the Anderson scandal from their family name, they cannot rewrite history. With each passing day, more victims are following the lead of Matt Schembechler and revealing the truth about what Bo and Don knew and when they knew it."