Bo Schembechler's son to go public on Dr. Anderson abuse, father's failure to protect him
The son of legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler will share with the public that he is among those sexually abused by former team doctor Robert Anderson.
And he will tell the world about his father's "failure to protect him and other athletes," according to a news release.
During a Thursday news conference, Matt Schembechler will be joined by his attorney and two former Michigan players to speak about their experiences.
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Matt Schembechler was one of three sons that Bo's first wife, Millie, had from a previous relationship and was adopted byBo adopted once the couple married in 1968.
According to the news release, Schembechler will "set the record straight regarding his own abuse" by Anderson and discuss what his father did and did not do in response.
The University of Michigan commissioned an investigation conducted by the law firm WilmerHale that concluded that Anderson's misconduct was reported "several times between 1978 and 1981," but that a "senior University administrator ... did not take appropriate action."
Also joining Schembechler at the news conference will be Daniel Kwiatkowski, a Michigan offensive lineman from 1977-79, and Gilvanni Johnson, a wide receiver from 1982-86 who also played for the Detroit Lions in 1987. According to the news release, Kwiatkowski was abused by Anderson four times and Johnson was assaulted 15 times. Both players were anonymous sources in the WilmerHale report.
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The news release said Kwiatkowski was first assaulted during his first team physical in 1977, and when he reported the conduct to his coach, Schembechler said Kwiatkowski should "toughen up."
Last week, current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh defended his former coach's reputation when asked about the Anderson situation at a football camp at Ferris State.
"I can tell you this," Harbaugh said. "Bo Schembechler ... there was nothing that I saw in the times when I was a kid here, my dad was on staff or when I played here ... he never sat on anything. He never procrastinated on anything. He took care of it before the sun went down. That's the Bo Schembechler that I know. There's nothing that ever was swept under the rug or ignored. He addressed everything in a timely fashion. That's the Bo Schembechler that I knew."
Bo Schembechler died in 2006. Anderson died two years later.
Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bo Schembechler's son to speak on Dr. Anderson abuse, father's failure
