Legendary Michigan Football coach protected team doctor that molested his own son

[tenderfoot]

Bo Schembechler’s Son Says Father Protected Team Doctor Who Molested Him

Last month, a law firm hired by the University of Michigan to investigate claims that a former school doctor named Robert Anderson sexually abused dozens of patients throughout his 37-year tenure at the school. The law firm’s investigation concluded that Anderson, who died in 2008, “engaged in a pervasive, decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct,” with much of the abuse being carried out against student athletes. The investigation also concluded that legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who coached the team from 1969–1989 and died in 2006, was aware of Anderson’s conduct. That conclusion is now being supported by Schembechler’s own adopted son.

Matt Schembechler, now 62 years old, will be giving a press conference later Thursday detailing how he was abused by Anderson and how his own father went out of his way to ignore and cover up that abuse. Matt spoke to both ESPN and The Detroit Free Press in advance of his press conference, and provided some details about his experience. Matt claims that he was molested by Anderson during a routine sports physical when he was 10 years old, less than a year after Bo was hired to coach the Michigan football team. Matt says that when he told his father about the abuse, Bo reacted violently. From ESPN:

Matt said 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. According to Matt, when he shared those details with Bo, the coach told him he didn’t want to hear about it and then got physically violent with both Matt and his mother.

“That was the first time he closed-fist punched me,” Matt told ESPN. “It knocked me all the way across the kitchen.”

ESPN

Matt claims that shortly after he told Bo about the abuse his mother went to Don Canham, who was the university’s athletic director at the time, to tell him about what Anderson had done. Matt told ESPN that he remembered his mother telling him that Canham was ready to fire Anderson, but was prevented from doing so by Bo, who intervened on the doctor’s behalf. “Bo went to bat for Anderson and got him back working again,” Matt told ESPN. “He wasn’t going to have anybody change his team.”

Back in May, the law firm that investigated Michigan concluded that administrators at the university, including Bo Schembechler and Don Canham, received “contemporaneous information about Dr. Anderson’s misconduct from multiple sources” as far back as the 1970s, and that “Dr. Anderson’s misconduct may have been detected earlier and brought to an end if they had considered, understood, investigated, or elevated what they heard.”

https://defector.com/bo-schembechlers-son-says-father-protected-team-doctor-who-molested-him/

[shrike3]

1. Sadly, this does not surprise me.

[Me.]

2. DEspicable

in the Gym JOrdan category

[Johnny2X2X]

3. This story is sickening

850+ victims, now the head coach's own son.

It was covered up for decades because the head football coach was a god on campus and refused to hear anything negative about his handpicked doctor who would follow his orders and clear injured players to play.

Dr. Anderson had probably thousands of victims total, almost 100 women have come forward. Now people who were victimized when they were children are coming forward.

All allowed to happen for decades to protect a football brand that was very profitable for everyone involved.

[Nevilledog]

4. K & R

[Aristus]

5. Man, that's taking worship at the Church of the Almighty Football WAY too far...

[marble falls]

6. As a son and a father of sons and daughters and a grandfather it surprises the shit out of me.

Last edited Thu Jun 10, 2021, 12:28 PM - Edit history (1)

We're all Buckeyes and come from Akron, next to Barberton (only reason we tolerated his coming to Barberton to recruit out from under Woody Hayes).

Both giants had feet of clay.

[ShazamIam]

7. Are we going to call the sexual abuse of minors, a white cultural thing? Seems like a plague that

has played out in sports for youth (nearly all white doctors and coaches,)


I don't really follow these stories closely, they are to disturbing but just from my studiously trying to avoid the details which, yes are triggers and not only for me but the millions of others who were molested by the adults in charge of our care.

Here are some that have been big reveals, Santa Clara, CA Olympics swim program.
They Gymnast doctor
Penn State
Ohio State U (Jim Jordan's) claim to fame
This one is new to me (the post)
But there are also the religious abusers.

[bahboo]

8. what a vile fuck....

too much power accorded to some coaches. This isn't a surprise...

[SheltieLover]

9. Anything for football

& the good ol' boys club.