An investigative report by The Athletic dropped Wednesday morning, detailing how eight men associated with the Detroit Tigers organization are accused of misconduct against women in the workplace since 2023.

The accusations range from one vice president allegedly pushing a woman down a flight of stairs to another vice president allegedly discussing whether certain women were considered attractive enough to be successful in the sports industry.

According to the report, six of those men have since left the organization — either they were fired, resigned or didn't have their contracts renewed — and three of the six men came between November 2024 and May 2025. The Athletic's investigation started when assistant general manager Sam Menzin suddenly resigned in April after an internal investigation into lewd, unsolicited pictures he allegedly sent to multiple women employees.

Olympia Entertainment, a division of Ilitch Holdings, which owns the Tigers, issued the following 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. 

Building on that commitment, we work hard every day to improve our workplace culture.  We encourage open dialogue and feedback, celebrate the contributions of our colleagues, and continue to invest in programs that support growth, well-being, and inclusion. Our colleagues have multiple channels to share input, supported by a strong HR team that responds quickly to concerns. We also provide ongoing, company-wide training and education to prevent and address inappropriate behavior.   

These efforts foster a culture where colleagues feel confident raising concerns, knowing that action will be taken when issues arise. We are grateful to the employees who have spoken up here, and to the more than 3,000 full- and part-time colleagues who contribute every day to ensuring a safe work environment." 

Hours after The Athletic report dropped, CBS News Detroit attended a closed media meeting with Illitch Sports and Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson, who emphasized that he feels the report is a mischaracterization of their internal culture. CBS News Detroit asked about the Tigers being one of three remaining MLB teams that do not offer paid maternity leave, and Olympia Entertainment confirmed that they will be offering employees 12 weeks of maternity leave at 100% pay beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

One of the eight men detailed in the report was identified as Ben Fidelman, who was promoted to vice president of communications and broadcasting in June after a formal human resources investigation was conducted in April regarding retaliation and gender discrimination against a female employee. Ten people who The Athletic spoke to claimed that they witnessed Fidelman's "belittling" or "domineering" behavior toward women in the organization.

Gustafson was notably emboldened during the closed meeting when discussing the team standing up for Fidelman, claiming that he was wrongfully accused. In Olympia Entertainment's statement on Fidelman, the company says, "It is inaccurate and unfair to group Mr. Fidelman within a story about accusations of sexual harassment or related misconduct. A concern unrelated to either was raised, and consistent with our process, it was investigated thoroughly, and no wrongdoing was found." 

Gustafson is considering bringing in third-party examiners into their organization, and he's taking the next two days to meet with employees individually.