Multiple High-Ranking Tigers Employees Have Been Accused of Misconduct Toward Women

An explosive report from The Athletic revealed that numerous men associated in some capacity with the Detroit Tigers have been accused of misconduct.

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

An explosive story on Wednesday morning from The Athletic (subscription required) revealed that eight men associated with the Detroit Tigers have been accused since 2023 of misconduct towards women.

Seven of the eight men, according to the story, were employees of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E), which the Tigers and Comerica Park fall under along with the Detroit Red Wings and Little Caesars Arena. Notably, six of the eight employees either resigned, were fired or did not have their contracts renewed once the alleged conduct came to light.

The story also mentions the fact that one vice president was suspended last week after the publication requested comment about the allegations. A current male employee of IS+E was quoted in the story talking about the culture of the organization, and it did not paint a positive picture.

"The dysfunction is woven into the culture. It feels like a bunch of guys who can do whatever they want," the anonymous employee was quoted as saying. "It's not a place women can feel safe."

The investigation from The Athletic stemmed all the way back to April when assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned under alleged improper workplace conduct accusations with the team planning to fire him. Menzin had been employed by the team for 13 years, but an investigation by the organization found he had sent unsolicited inappropriate photos to multiple female team employees.

As for the troubling workplace culture allegations, one former female team employee was quoted in the story as having felt belittled and passed over for opportunities when she worked for the team because of her gender

"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," she said.

Olympia Entertainment, which is the division of Ilitch Holdings responsible for the Tigers and Red Wings, released a statement upon the release of the article.

Official statement from Olympia Entertainment, the division of Ilitch Holdings that manages the Tigers and Red Wings, on today's article in The Athletic. pic.twitter.com/yoJu0BZ2pk

— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) September 10, 2025

"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 statement read.

Former IS+E vice president of premium sales and private events Michael Lienert was accused, according to the story, of staring at women in a manner which made them uncomfortable. He also allegedly engaged in multiple relationships with female coworkers that were not disclosed. Most concerningly, Lienert was allegedly involved in a heated exchange with one of those female coworkers and allegedly pushed her down a flight of stairs.

According to the organization, Lienert resigned shortly after an investigation was opened into the allegations.

Former Tigers Outfielder and Broadcaster Cameron Maybin Accused of Misconduct

Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

Later in the article, it was mentioned that former team broadcasters Cameron Maybin and Craig Monroe were removed from their roles after allegations of misconduct. Maybin allegedly made late-night calls or sent messages to at least two team employees that they found inappropriate. He was quoted as allegedly telling one team employee that he "liked to watch her walk away from him."

Maybin was investigated by HR in 2023 and was not brought back for the 2024 season.

Monroe was taken off the air last season after he was publicly accused of sex crimes involving a minor going back to his days in Minor League Baseball. A police report was taken in Frisco, Texas in June of 2024 which accused Monroe of sexual abuse of a minor. According to The Athletic, the case is no longer active and Monroe denied the claims vehemently.

Both former broadcasters were removed from the air independently from the story.