Another team bites the dust.The Detroit Tigers organization faces a crisis far from the baseball diamond. At least eight men employed by the team, its business branch Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E), or its broadcast partner have been accused of misconduct toward women since 2023, according to a detailed investigation by The Athletic. The group includes four vice presidents and two other senior leaders. Allegations span from inappropriate comments to physical confrontation, painting a picture of a workplace hostile toward women.
Employees at IS+E, which operates the Detroit Tigers, described a “boys club” culture where women were told not to wear specific skirts/pants because male colleagues found them distracting.
The executive who was recently suspended allegedly commented on whether or not women were… pic.twitter.com/1swrxmdUK3
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 10, 2025
Seven of the eight men allegedly mistreated women directly employed by IS+E. Six either resigned, were dismissed, or had their contracts allowed to expire. Three of those exits occurred within a six-month stretch beginning last November, while another vice president was suspended only after The Athletic contacted the team for comment. Interviews with more than 45 current and former employees, combined with emails, HR documents, and court records, reinforced claims of a toxic “boys club” environment.
A deeper cultural problem
Employees described a workplace where women faced rules about what skirts or pants they could wear because male colleagues claimed to find them distracting. Multiple women recalled executives and staff regularly commenting on their looks. One suspended vice president allegedly suggested women needed to be attractive to deserve a place in sports. Age discrimination also surfaced, with older workers saying certain leaders acted in openly hostile ways.
Federal lawsuits have added weight to these claims. The Tigers have been sued at least three times in the past three years by former employees citing age-based discrimination. Meanwhile, the organization is one of only three MLB franchises that still fail to offer paid maternity leave, a policy gap that only deepens frustrations.
Some of the most alarming details emerged around Sam Menzin, the team’s assistant general manager until April. Menzin abruptly resigned after 13 years, and The Athletic reported his departure followed an internal probe revealing he sent lewd, unsolicited photos to multiple women within the team. Once seen as a rising star in baseball, Menzin’s fall underscored the systemic failures in Detroit’s front office.
“This dysfunction is woven into the culture,” a current male employee told The Athletic. “It feels like a bunch of guys who can do whatever they want. It’s not a place women can feel safe.”
Success on the field, turmoil off it
Ironically, the Tigers are closing in on their first division title since 2014, a milestone for fans who have waited nearly a decade for meaningful October baseball. But for many inside the organization, the team’s success highlights a painful contradiction.
“We have team meetings and they celebrate like everything is going great,” a current employee said. “Yeah, the team is playing well. But let’s be real.”
The Tigers may be winning games, but until the workplace culture changes, victories off the field will remain elusive.
