This story just continues to take turns for the worse.
Matt Schembechler, the son of the late Michigan Wolverines head coach Bo Schembechler, announced earlier today that he would be providing evidence during a press conference on Thursday that his father ignored claims of sexual abuse made not only by multiple athletes against disgraced Dr. Robert Anderson, but that that his own claims of abuse went unaddressed.
In fact, Schembechler says that he first informed his father of abuse that he suffered at the hands of Anderson in 1969.
“The thing with Dr. Anderson (and) Bo has stuck with me for years,” Matt Schembechler said Wednesday night. “It’s been hurtful, I felt betrayed. The coverage of what happened at MSU with Dr. Nassar really woke me up.”
Schembechler said that as a youngster in 1969, he dreamt of playing sports, and said that his father sent him to a physical with Anderson. He then stated that he was fondled and penetrated digitally.
“Even as a little kid, I knew it was really wrong,” he said. “I knew if I told her she would tell me if it was wrong.”
However, in Matt’s words, the legendary Michigan coach didn’t want to talk about it.
“I don’t want to hear this,” Matt said Bo said, adding Bo also said “never talk to me about this again.”
Schembechler will be joined in tomorrow’s press conference by Daniel Kwiatkowski, a Michigan offensive lineman from 1977-79, and Gilvanni Johnson, a wide receiver from 1982-86.
According to the news release from earlier today, Kwiatkowski informed Schembechler of being sexually abused by Anderson in 1977, and was told by the Michigan coach to “toughen up.” Johnson alleges that he was abused in 1982 and spoke up to his coach, but that no changes were made to the UM medical staff.
Anderson, who died in 2008, is accused of more than 800 instances of abuse of student-athletes spanning multiple decades. He was able to remain a top physician at the school through 2003 despite being fired in 1979 as Michigan’s director of health services after allegations of abuse.
– – Quotes via David Jesse of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
