At least eight high-ranking male employees for Major League Baseball team the Detroit Tigers, its business arm or broadcast partner have been accused of misdonduct towards women since 2023, according to a new bombshell report.
The Athletic has lifted the lid on the shocking allegations made against those eight men – including four vice presidents and two other executives – which range from offensive comments to physical confrontation.
Seven of the eight were reportedly accused of mistreating women employed by Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E), which owns the MLB franchise, as well as National Hockey League team the Red Wings, its Little Caesars Arena home, the Tigers’ Comerica Park and other entertainment entities.
Six of the men are said to have either resigned, been fired or failed to earn new contracts amid the allegations, with three departing in a six-month period which began last November. One vice president was reportedly suspended over the past week.
A current male employee is quoted as saying: ‘The dysfunction is woven into the culture. It feels like a bunch of guys who can do whatever they want. It’s not a place women can feel safe.’
Back in April, Tigers assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned amid allegations he sent unsolicited photographs of his genitals to two former club employees.
At least eight male Detroit Tigers executives were accused of misconduct towards women
‘Upon being made aware of the allegations as to Sam Menzin’s conduct, the club promptly completed an investigation,’ a team spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement at the time.
‘Before the club could terminate Mr. Menzin, he resigned,’ the statement continued. ‘This type of behavior is contrary to our standards and has absolutely no place within our organization. We have a positive and safe culture for our colleagues and will continue to emphasize respect, inclusion, and professionalism.’
Menzin told The Athletic via text message that he was seeking a career change and wanted to move home to New York to handle ‘some family issues.’ However, he did not respond to calls and texts from the publication, while DailyMail.com’s attempts to contact him were also unsuccessful.
Two women who previously worked for the Tigers told The Athletic that the 34-year-old sent them photographs of his genitals via Snapchat, a social media app that automatically deletes images once they are viewed.
Both women said they received lewd photographs from Menzin at several times since 2017. Meanwhile, a third woman claimed she received a similar text message from him around 2018 or 2019. The third woman reportedly worked in baseball, but not for the Tigers.
After speaking with more than 45 current and former employees, and reviewing emails, human resources documents, text messages and court records, The Athletic were allegedly informed of a ‘boys club’ culture at IS+E where women were told not to wear specific skirts or pants because male colleagues found them distracting.
A number of women said men routinely commented on their appearance, including an executive who was recently suspended for allegedly discussing whether women were attractive enough to work in sports. The Tigers are also one of just three MLB teams out of 30 that don’t offer paid maternity leave.
‘There’s just been little things, things that it’s just like, OK, well, it’s because I’m a woman. And I had never felt that way working in sports. I’ve never felt that way or so belittled by people in a workplace until I worked for the Tigers,’ one former female employee is quoted as saying.
Some employees also alleged that certain company leaders were hostile towards older employees. The Tigers have been sued at least three times in federal court over the past three years by ex-employees who accused them of age discrimination.
Sam Menzin, a Detroit Tigers assistant general manager, resigned in April amid allegations he sent unsolicited photographs of his genitals to two former club employees
Another seven high-ranking Tigers employees have also been hit with allegations of misconduct towards women which range from verbal to physical abuse
Olympia Entertainment, which is affiliated with IS+E, reportedly said in 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 most serious of the allegations involves Michael Lienert, who was promoted to IS+E’s vice president of premium sales and private events in September 2021 after two years at the company.
Lienert was accused of staring at women ‘in a manner that made some of them uncomfortable’, according to three women who allege feeling that way and two men who were told the same by women in the organization.
He is also alleged to have engaged in at least two relationships with female coworkers which were not disclosed to the company. And in 2023, he was accused of pushing one of those female coworkers down a flight of stairs during a heated exchange. Lienert, who now works as vice president of partnership sales for MLS team the Chicago Fire, resigned after being suspended by IS+E. His attorney, Daniel J. Kramer, says he denies all allegations against him.
IS+E said: ‘As soon as we became aware of concerns involving Mr. Lienert, we immediately suspended him and initiated an investigation. Mr. Lienert resigned shortly thereafter.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Detroit Tigers, Major League Baseball, Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, the Detroit Red Wings, Little Caesars and Olympia Entertainment for comment.
