Former Michigan Athletes Want State Investigation of Dr. Robert Anderson Abuse

A number of Michigan Wolverines alumni have called on the state's attorney general, Dana Nessel, to investigate the school for its handling of past complaints about late doctor Robert Anderson, who was accused of sexually abusing hundreds of patients while on campus, per Dan Murphy of ESPN.

Nessel has said she won't open an investigation until the university opens its records to her, which would mean waiving attorney-client privileges.

"Michigan has not changed its culture," former wrestler Tad Deluca said Wednesday. "Their actions show they don't want change. The university doesn't want transparency about Anderson and his enablers."

A group of former students and athletes gathered on campus Wednesday morning across from the football stadium.

"So board of regents, so the University of Michigan—say my name," former football player Jon Vaughn said. "Because the time is now for all of you who have been abused here to speak up for justice. We speak because every victim matters. I am not John Doe. I am Jon Vaughn."

Last week, Matt Schembechler—the adopted son of legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler—said when he was 10 years old, Anderson "fondled him and did 'an anal probe' when he visited the doctor for a sports physical prior to joining the pee wee football team," per Murphy.

He said he told his father, who became violent with him and his mother and disregarded what he told him.

"That was the first time he closed-fist punched me," he told Murphy. "It knocked me all the way across the kitchen."

Two former Michigan football players reportedly also plan to come forward with accounts of informing Bo Schembechler about Anderson's sexual assaults, only to be disregarded by the coach.

Bo Schembechler died in 2006, while Anderson died in 2008. The doctor was at Michigan from 1966 to 2003.

In March 2020, Michigan hired the WilmerHale law firm to investigate the accusations made against Anderson and the university's response. Per MLive's Steve Marowski, the investigation found numerous instances of university employees ignoring such accusations and not acting on testimonies or persistent rumors about his conduct.

WilmerHale collected information from more than 800 people, including 600 former patients of Anderson, and interviewed 300 people. It found that Anderson "engaged in sexual misconduct with patients on countless occasions and in various roles with the university," per Marowski.