(WWJ) -- Matt Schembechler, the son of legendary University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, plans to speak to the media Thursday to present evidence that his father ignored abuse by a former university doctor.
Hundreds of former student-athletes at the school have recently come forward with sexual abuse allegations against Dr. Robert E. Anderson, leading the school to commission a 240-page report that concluded the doctor had sexually abused patients, most of whom were young men on “countless occasions.”
A press release from the law firms representing Matt Schembechler and hundreds of victims claiming abuse by Anderson says Schembechler and two former Michigan football players will address the media Thursday at 1 p.m.
Schembechler, who attorneys say is a survivor of Anderson’s abuse himself, will be joined by Daniel Kwiatkowski and Gilvanni Johnson, who both say they told their coach about the assaults, only to be ignored. Also on-hand will be attorneys Mick Grewel, Stephen Drew, Dennis Mulvihill and Jonathan Marko.
More than two dozen University of Michigan employees were alerted to reports of sexually inappropriate behavior by Anderson, “reports that could have stopped the doctor who is accused of molesting more than 800 survivors,” according to the report.
The press release says Schembechler was among the officials who were alerted to Anderson’s behavior -- a claim that has been recently denied by current Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, who played in college for Schembechler.
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Attorneys say Kwiatkowski was sexually assaulted by Anderson during his first football physical in 1977. “After the next football practice following the physical, Dan confronted Bo and told him what Anderson did. Bo's advice to Dan was to tell him to ‘toughen up’ and ignore the abuse,” according to attorneys. Kwiatkowski was allegedly violated at the next two yearly physicals.
Johnson also told his coach he was assaulted after his first physical in 1982 and “despite promising to address the issue with the medical staff, Bo did nothing,” attorneys say. Members of the coaching staff reportedly told Johnson’s mother they would take care of her son while he was at Michigan, but he was allegedly sexually assaulted “15-20 more times” by Anderson.
Matt Schembechler says his father sent him to Anderson when he was 10 years old and he was abused. When he told his father, he told him he didn’t want to know about it, according to his attorney Mick Grewal.
“The statement’s been out there a lot -- people have been talking about this, whether coach Schembechler knew this or not. And the fact is, that he did know,” Grewal told WWJ Wednesday. “It’s not just Matt Schembechler saying that, even though we believe he was the first one to tell his dad. Two other people that are going to be at the press conference are two football players that told Bo Schembechler in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.”
Grewal tells WWJ his client had been “wrestling” with whether to come forward or not for a few months, but the tipping point was when Harbaugh recently defended the coach.
“He’s been sitting there, waiting, hoping that the university would do the right thing. I think what tipped it over the edge was when coach Jim Harbaugh made a statement the other day that Bo didn’t know anything, which is not the case.”
WWJ has contacted the University of Michigan for comment on the latest developments in the story, but a spokesperson responded via email, “the school has no statement to share at this time.”
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