Michigan's Schembechler Sat In Confidence of Team Doctor's Sex Abuse

Jay Maxson | January 24, 2022
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Former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler kept his mouth shut for years while a team doctor abused more than a thousand student athletes at the Big 10 school. Last week, the university awarded $490 million to the 1,050 abused athletes, ending an ugly chapter in the school's history. Among those victims was the famous coach Schembechler's own son.

The late Dr. Robert Anderson, an athletic department doctor at Michigan from 1968-2003, was finally held accountable for the evil he exposed 1,050 athletes to.

Dr. Anderson, who died in 2008, isn’t around to be brought to justice; he died in 2008. His story is truly despicable.

Reports state Dr. Anderson was dubbed “Dr. Drop Your Drawers” and “Dr. Glove.” He gave many unnecessary rectal and testicular exams to Michigan athletes. Included among the victims was the son of long-time Wolverine football Coach Schembechler, who sat silently in confidence of the doctor’s foul deeds without exposing him.

Coach Schembechler enabled Dr. Anderson, allegedly ignoring his son’s accusation and going to great lengths to ensure the doctor kept his job. That report came from ESPN's Dan Murphy.

Attorney James White said of this week’s settlement:

“The University of Michigan has accepted responsibility financially and otherwise for harm that was caused by Anderson to so many young people that could have been avoided. The university should be commended and not condemned. Most of our clients had a strong love for the university and did not want to see permanent damage, but wanted accountability.”

“Commended” was an extremely poor choice of words by the attorney. The abuse spanned parts of two centuries, started in the 1960s and was resolved some 19 years after Dr. “Drop Your Drawers” last performed his dirty deeds at Michigan.

Attorney White also said: “It is time for the Michigan legislators to look at why two of the largest scandals in the history of the country — Larry Nassar and Robert Anderson — happened at Michigan’s two largest universities. Other states have addressed this issue. It is time for Michigan leadership to do the same.”

Michigan State University was the home of Larry Nasser, convicted of rape as the team doctor for the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team. He had access to hundreds of vulnerable young girls, raping at least 265 of them. There was also an attempted cover-up in his case. Nasser is serving sentences of 60 years, 40-175 years and 40-125 years in the Michigan State prison.

This horrendous problem actually goes beyond the state of Michigan. It’s a Big Ten Conference problem.

In 2020, Ohio State paid $40.9 million to the 162 victims of athletic Dr. Richard Strauss. Only half the litigants are included in this payout, but negotiations were continuing with others. This slimeball worked for Buckeye athletes from 1978-98.

In 2011, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse of young boys during the years 1994-2009. On June 22, 2012, he was found guilty on 45 charges, and was sentenced to a prison sentence of 30-60 years. This case also toppled legendary Penn State football Coach Joe Paterno, who also sat in confidence of the crimes.

In an ironic side note, this week University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel was fired over alleged inappropriate relations with a school employee.

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