Report: 8 past or current Tigers organization members accused of misconduct

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Shocking allegations were made against several men with ties to the Detroit Tigers organization in a report by The Athletic.

The backstory:

It claims eight men involved with the Tigers through Ilitch Sports and Entertainment are accused of misconduct — ranging from vice presidents to former players who became broadcasters.

Seven of those men are accused of sexual harassment or misconduct. The eighth man — is not, accused of disrespectful comments.

So far six of the men have either resigned, were fired, or did not have their contracts renewed.

It started with the resignation of Sam Menzin, an assistant general manager who resigned in spring. The Athletic reports an internal investigation found he sent lewd photos to women who worked for the team.

Shortly after, other men connected to the organization either resigned, were fired, or did not have their contracts renewed.

The other allegations include shoving women, getting physical, saying inappropriate comments regarding looks.

FOX 2 sports reporter Jennifer Hammond shared her thoughts on the allegations.

"The Tigers have acted swiftly," she said. "Whether or not they did it with a ton of transparency remains to be seen. I would like to see something from Chris Ilitch. Ultimately his name is on the door, and he needs to be held accountable and speak to what the climate is in his organization.

"I do know Ryan Gustafson, who has been with the organization since 2022 and he’s in charge of everything, he runs the whole ship. For him this is a dark day and this is a tough thing that happened under his watch.

"He wants to make sure that they eradicate it and that everyone who was involved is investigated thoroughly, treated fairly and punished or cleared. It’s important to have someone like that in a leadership role."

Olympic Entertainment released a statement:

"We are committed to a culture of respect, safety, and inclusion. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment, and when concerns are raised, we investigate promptly and take decisive action, which has included terminating employees for misconduct, regardless of seniority or tenure. We are committed to accountability and to upholding the standards essential to our workplace."

The organization has said it is taking this situation seriously and six people involved have resigned or been fired. 

A seventh man was suspended and an eighth man is accused of harassment that was not of a sexual nature.

Hammond said that don't expect the report and allegations to be a distraction for the playoff-contending team.

"I don't think there's any trickle down or carryover to the players or the team with this situation," she said. "This if office stuff, front office stuff and administration level.  

"None of it, to the best of my knowledge, has permeated the Tigers clubhouse.

"Every time I’m in there, I’m treated respectfully, I’m treated with kindness and fairness from all the players. The players are terrific."