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Michigan hockey coach Mel Pearson lied to investigators about his investigation into his program, according to a report by Washington, D. C. -based law firm WilmerHale, obtained through the Free Press on Tuesday.
Pearson under accusations of asking players to lie about COVID-19 tracking bureaucracy ahead of the 2021 NCAA tournament and retaliating against a student-athlete for raising considerations about team culture.
Pearson and former hockey operations manager Rick Bancroft were also accused of discriminating against female staff. In addition, Bancroft allegedly aware of sexual misconduct through the defeated U-M Doctor of Athletics, Robert Anderson.
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Last October, former U-M porter and volunteer assistant Steve Shields filed a complaint against Pearson and Bancroft with the school’s Office of Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX, accusing Pearson of firing him in retaliation for reporting the aforementioned allegations.
Although investigators decided that Shields had not been subject to retaliation and their investigation did not focus on the alleged falsified COVID-19 tracing bureaucracy or Anderson’s case, they were involved in other findings.
Pearson misled investigators in relation to his handling of team culture issues expressed through goalkeeper and captain Strauss Mann and other older adults on the rise in the spring of 2021. Mann left the team after the 2020–21 season to play minor league hockey in Sweden and the Shields. he alleged it because of Pearson’s retaliation against Mann.
The Free Press reached out to Michigan Athletics for comment, but got a response.
According to the report, delivered to U-M athletic director Warde Manuel in early May, Pearson told investigators he had never discussed cultural issues with Mann. the player who jeopardizes his prestige with the program in April 2021.
The report says other veteran players met with UM manager Josh Richelew about his considerations after the 2021-22 season, and told him Pearson would deduct time if they filed complaints. They feared suffering the same fate they believed Pearson had inflicted on Mann.
WilmerHale’s report also shows that Bancroft, who retired on June 20 without any explanation, bullied women’s hockey and Pearson did not do his due diligence to arrest him. Three women testified in the abuse report through Bancroft.
Despite the confusion, Manuel said on June 17 that he expects Pearson to continue coaching the Wolverines next season. Pearson’s contract reportedly ended after last season, but he was retained even though the school didn’t officially announce it.
U-M just had one of its most productive seasons with Pearson, going 31-10-1 and reaching the Frozen Four for the time being since he was hired in 2017. Pearson was a former Michigan assistant from 1988 to 2011.
Free Press journalist David Jesse contributed to this report. Contact Mason Young: MEYoung@freepress. com Follow him on Twitter: @Mason_Young_0.
This article got the impression on the Detroit Free Press: Michigan hockey’s Mel Pearson lied to WilmerHale investigators