Michigan's athletic department is going through one of the messiest weeks in recent memory. A federal lawsuit from a former Wolverines coach just made things worse.

"Upon information and belief, [Santa] Ono instructed those in attendance at the presentation that they were not permitted to take notes, use their cell phones, or record the presentation, and prohibited them from discussing it with anyone outside the room," the lawsuit states, per The Detroit News.

That instruction allegedly came after a private law firm presented findings of an investigation to former President Santa Ono and Athletic Director Warde Manuel, after discovering evidence of the sign-stealing scandal back in 2023.

According to federal prosecutors, Matt Weiss unlawfully used school devices and other equipment to access thousands of student photos, records, and personal details. Weiss denies the allegations.

Chris Partridge coached linebackers at Michigan in 2023 and got fired. Earlier in June, he filed an updated version of his federal lawsuit.

One of the most serious things in it is the claim that the former university president actively worked to keep the sign-stealing investigation findings from the people who needed to know about them.

The investigation wasn't just about Matthew Weiss. It reportedly found "evidence of an advanced scouting scheme that went beyond former football program staff member Connor Stalions and involved one or more members of the football coaching staff," per the Detroit Free Press.

Neither Ono nor Manuel allegedly reported those findings to the Board of Regents, the compliance office, or the NCAA.

Partridge was fired after telling a nervous player to get a lawyer ahead of an NCAA interview. The NCAA later cleared him of any involvement in the sign-stealing scheme entirely.

The updated filing also claims Manuel and other department leaders knew about Sherrone Moore's relationship with executive assistant Paige Shiver "for years without taking action to protect the employee," per the Detroit Free Press.

Manuel reportedly told the NCAA infractions committee he was "under immense pressure" when he fired Partridge and "made hasty decisions." He later shook Partridge's hand at the hearing and told him he was sorry.

Partridge's lawsuit now names Ono, Manuel, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, and the university's Board of Regents as defendants. Everyone named has until early August to respond.

Michigan's football program acknowledged none of this publicly, though the allegations directly implicate the department's leadership during the Wolverines' national championship era.

Michigan is also facing a separate FOIA lawsuit over the Jenner & Block investigation

Shiver's legal team filed its own lawsuit accusing Michigan of violating the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

Michigan hired Jenner & Block in late 2025 to look into the athletic department's culture. That is costing an estimated $12 million. On top of that, the university has been telling people who file FOIA requests that there are no responsive records.

Andrew Stroth, the attorney representing Shiver, said the two cases are directly connected.

"It is clear that the University of Michigan knew about the widespread misconduct within the Athletic Department," Stroth said in the statement as reported by the Detroit Free Press. "We are demanding that the Board of Regents immediately and publicly release the findings from the Jenner & Block investigative report."

Manuel said this week he has no plans to leave his position. The Board of Regents meets on July 16 in Traverse City, but as of Monday, July 13, the agenda made no mention of his future or the investigation findings.

What do you think of the latest reports about Michigan? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar