Tag: hazing

Nov 19, 2022; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald walks the sidelines during the second quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Northwestern settles hazing lawsuits; Pat Fitzgerald’s suit continues

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A group of football players agreed to settle its lawsuits against Northwestern that concerned allegations of hazing and abusive behavior under previous coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Per Bloomberg News, “master settlement agreements” were signed but the final documentation was still being finalized. The group of plaintiffs, believed to total 25, will drop their claims against both Northwestern and Fitzgerald, who was fired in July 2023.

Fitzgerald’s attorneys confirmed the settlement in a statement released to news outlets. However, their client is still pursuing wrongful termination action against Northwestern.

“He continues to assert that Northwestern illegally terminated his employment, violated an oral contract and defamed him, causing significant damage to his sterling reputation,” attorneys Dan K. Webb and Matthew R. Carter wrote in a statement.

“(Monday), Northwestern tried to postpone the trial of Coach Fitzgerald’s claims by nearly five months. The Court denied that motion and Coach Fitzgerald’s trial will take place on November 3, 2025. He looks forward to having his day in court, where he expects a jury will hold Northwestern and President (Michael) Schill accountable for the extreme harm done to his personal and professional reputation.”

A former Northwestern player accused hazing within the program in November 2022, but the university investigated and did not find evidence that Fitzgerald or his assistants knew about the hazing.

Fitzgerald was given a two-week suspension the following July, which prompted a letter signed by Northwestern players defending their coach, calling the allegations “exaggerated and twisted.” Then three former players came forward to the student newspaper accusing Fitzgerald of racist remarks, and Northwestern decided to fire Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald — a star linebacker at the university who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and coached the Wildcats from 2006-22 — filed suit against Northwestern later in 2023 claiming there was a verbal agreement from Schill that Fitzgerald would face no more punishment besides the initial two-week suspension.

Fitzgerald’s attorneys said in Tuesday’s statement that there is no evidence supporting the claims against Fitzgerald after an extensive discovery period.

“As previously stated,” they wrote, “Coach Fitzgerald committed no wrongdoing.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Detailed view of a Nike football on the field during the Georgia Bulldogs game against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Half of San Diego program facing discipline for hazing

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Approximately half the members of the University of San Diego football team are facing disciplinary action due to alleged hazing in the FCS program, according to a letter penned by university president James T. Harris III.

In the letter recently sent to staff members, Harris wrote that some players received “indefinite game suspensions.” He also said Saturday’s opener against host Cal Poly will proceed as scheduled.

Harris said the university forwarded results of its investigation to San Diego police and also hired an outside firm to conduct an independent review.

“I write to you today to share the deeply disturbing news that members of the USD football program have been accused of violating the university’s no-hazing policy,” Harris wrote to staff. “I wish to commend the courageous young men who truthfully recounted what had transpired. They represent the high character and integrity we hope to see in our students.”

The names of players who have been disciplined haven’t been released by USD.

According to USA Today, first-year coach Brandon Moore was notified of the hazing allegations on Aug. 18. Moore then reported the allegations to athletic director Bill McGillis.

Team activities were suspended during the school investigation. San Diego interviewed players as part of its investigation. Practices resumed Aug. 23.

The university said no physical injuries were reported.

Harris wrote that the university doesn’t tolerate hazing.

“Hazing or bullying of any sort is a reprehensible act that denies a person the respect and dignity they deserve,” Harris wrote. “As a university, we must continue to strive to make this a community where there is no place for such behavior as we work together to create a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.”

The USD incident comes a month after a major hazing scandal at Northwestern became public. Longtime Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired in the fallout.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald leads his team on the field against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern alums: School didn’t follow ‘due process’ in Pat Fitzgerald case

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Northwestern administrators failed to give football coach Pat Fitzgerald his “due process” before firing him and tarnished his “legacy and character,” a group of former athletes at the school charged Monday in an open letter.

ESPN obtained the letter, signed by 86 people, including some who were teammates of Fitzgerald when he played for the Wildcats. Per ESPN, the letter states that campus president Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg both had “a clear failure of unbiased and principled leadership” and should be ousted if they don’t “positively support our athletic programs with due process” and also release results of a campus investigation.

Fitzgerald was terminated July 10 following allegations of hazing and other abuse in the program. Fitzgerald has denied knowing about any wrongdoing.

A university investigation completed before Fitzgerald was fired showed a hazing allegation likely could be proved but could not determine that Fitzgerald or his staff were aware of just what went on in the program.

“We share Northwestern University administration’s deep concern over the possibility that any student-athlete has been harmed by sexual harassment, hazing, or racism while at Northwestern University,” the letter reads, but added that without a proper investigation, no one should be presumed guilty.

The way administrators handled the situation could leave staff members vulnerable to future allegations that could be unsubstantiated, and Fitzgerald already has been harmed, per the letter.

“By willfully ignoring due process, Northwestern University’s administration has left a welcome mat out for the weaponization of sexual harassment, hazing, and racism accusations to run rampant at Northwestern University,” the letter reads. “Any allegation, true or not, will be allowed to cancel anyone’s career and destroy their reputation depending upon popular opinion, while simultaneously allowing the censorship of free speech. The collective gains of Northwestern’s Athletic Department over the last three decades, along with Pat Fitzgerald’s legacy and character, have almost been wiped out without any proof of guilt or, much less, even a thorough and proper investigation.”

Allegations of hazing and mistreatment have spread to other sports programs at Northwestern, and the school has brought in former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead an investigation into the athletic culture at the school.

In the letter Monday, the former athletes said they were not in favor of Lynch’s role in the investigation, citing “political controversies surrounding her history and reputation.”

Northwestern has not yet commented on the letter.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy watches from the sidelines during an NFL International Series game against the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Packers CEO Mark Murphy named in Northwestern lawsuits

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Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy has been named as a defendant in two lawsuits filed Thursday by former Northwestern football players, ESPN reported.

Murphy was the athletic director at Northwestern from 2003-07, when two unnamed players allege they were victims of hazing and other improper acts.

Joining Murphy as defendants are former head coach Pat Fitzgerald, former university president Henry Bienen and the university board of trustees, according to the report.

Bienen was president from 1995-2009. Murphy left Northwestern to join the Packers in 2007.

Neither Murphy nor the Packers commented as of Thursday afternoon.

In all, four more lawsuits were filed Thursday, with two of them listing only the university as a defendant, per ESPN. In all, 13 former players have filed lawsuits since the conclusion of an independent investigation into allegations of hazing.

The two ex-players suing Murphy and others did not disclose their names, filing as “John Doe.” Per ESPN, the men also allege they were subjected to sexual abuse and racial discrimination and contend Fitzgerald was aware and “encouraged” the actions.

Fitzgerald, who has maintained he was unaware of any hazing, was fired on July 10 after 17 seasons and a 110 -101 record.

The university announced Tuesday that it had hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct an independent review of its athletics programs and culture.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; A Northwestern Wildcats helmet sits on an equipment chest during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-USA TODAY Sports

Lawsuit: Northwestern coaches were subjects of alleged hazing

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A lawsuit filed Monday against Northwestern over alleged acts of hazing in the football program revealed new details, including a claim that members of the coaching staff knew what was happening because they were subjects of the actions themselves.

The lawsuit is the fourth against the school but the first one with a named plaintiff — Lloyd Yates, a former quarterback and wide receiver for the Wildcats.

The suit was filed in Cook County (Ill.) Circuit Court by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Steven Lavin, who said last week they have talked to dozens of former players about their experiences.

USA Today, which reviewed the Yates lawsuit, reported that assistant coaches were among those who were “ran” by players. According to the lawsuit, “running” in the Northwestern program took place when players held down another person, without consent, and committed sexualized acts.

“During a training session during the Fall of 2015 or Spring of 2016, a strength and conditioning coach was ‘ran’ by members of the football team, on the field, in front of the entire team and coaching staff,” Yates’ lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit does not identify the coach who was the subject of the alleged act.

Northwestern officials did not respond immediately to USA Today.

Northwestern fired longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald on July 10 after an investigation into allegations, though Fitzgerald, through his attorneys, has denied any knowledge of hazing.

Yates, a member of the Wildcats from 2015-17, alleges in the lawsuit that he was “ran” by 12 to 15 players at preseason camp at Camp Kenosha in the summer before his first season, according to USA Today. He said the alleged act took place in a dorm common area and resulted in him feeling “embarrassed, ashamed, dehumanized, powerless, dirty and anxious,” per the lawsuit.

He also contended in the lawsuit that team members were pressured to take part in “naked” drills and other events.

The lawsuit also includes new allegations of racial discrimination committed by the coaching staff.

Yates is suing on the grounds of willful and wanton misconduct and violating a state gender violence statute, per USA Today. He is seeking more than $50,000 for each count.

The investigation into alleged hazing at Northwestern has expanded past the football program, and on Monday, a former women’s volleyball player sued the school. ESPN reported that her lawsuit contends Northwestern and the athletic department didn’t adequately respond to alleged hazing in 2021.

The lawsuit names coach Shane Davis, the two most recent campus presidents and the three most recent athletic directors among the defendants, per ESPN.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, US; ACC commissioner James Phillips addresses the media during the ACC Men s Basketball Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

ACC commish: Never condoned hazing as Northwestern AD

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Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips denied that he tolerated hazing while serving as athletic director at Northwestern from 2008 to 2021.

Northwestern is reeling from the termination of head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and the firing of head baseball coach Jim Foster earlier this month. Fitzgerald was let go after an internal investigation found hazing to be widespread in the football program, and an anonymous former player told the student newspaper that Fitzgerald may have known it was taking place.

Since Fitzgerald’s firing, three lawsuits have been levied against the school alleging Fitzgerald and other leaders were negligent in their duty to protect student-athletes. Two of the three John Doe complaints name Phillips as a defendant.

“This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home,” Phillips said in a statement Thursday. “Over my thirty-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes. Hazing is completely unacceptable anywhere, and my heart goes out to anyone who carries the burden of having been mistreated.

“Any allegation that I ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes is absolutely false. I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary.”

Phillips became the commissioner of the ACC in 2021 after 13 years at Northwestern, overlapping with most of Fitzgerald’s tenure as head coach. A former star player at the school, Fitzgerald had been head coach since 2006.

–Field Level Media

Jul 20, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

ACC commissioner named defendant in lawsuit by ex-Northwestern player

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Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit against Northwestern in connection with a hazing scandal that has rocked the football program, ESPN reported Wednesday.

Phillips was the Wildcats’ athletic director from 2008-21, which covers part of the time when the alleged hazing occurred.

A second former Northwestern football player filed a lawsuit against the university, school officials and former head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Per ESPN, the player — identified as John Doe 2 — played for the Wildcats from 2018-22.

That lawsuit comes on the heels of another one that had been filed against the university, Northwestern president Michael Schill, Fitzgerald and other university trustees alleging they were negligent in allowing a culture of hazing in the football program.

A growing group of 12 former players — including former quarterback Lloyd Yates — have retained attorney Ben Crump to pursue legal action. Yates became the first Northwestern player to publicly speak up about alleged sexualized hazing, telling the Chicago Tribune that he experienced a “very degrading, dehumanizing, embarrassing act.”

“This is a civil rights issue for me,” Crump said at a news conference Wednesday. “Because I think these players have the right to be respected and valued and not hazed, intimidated and retaliated.”

Fitzgerald was fired for cause July 10 after initially being suspended for two weeks without pay. Fitzgerald is also mulling legal action against the school for breach of contract.

In announcing Fitzgerald’s termination, Schill said players were exposed to “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values.”

–Field Level Media

A Ryan Field renovation project at Northwestern with an estimated cost of $800 million is a new target of university faculty. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Ohio State Buckeyes At Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern faculty call for release of investigation findings

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Northwestern faculty formally requested the university make public the findings of the hazing investigation that led to the dismissal of head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

In a letter to the university president and other school officials, a group of six faculty at the private university and residents of Evanston, Ill., called for the delay of a planned $800 million renovation to Ryan Field, the Wildcats’ football stadium.

Fitzgerald, head coach at Northwestern since 2006, was fired on Monday with $42 million remaining on his contract. That decision came three days after the original discipline for Fitzgerald was a two-week suspension without pay, all stemming from an independent investigation that found hazing allegations were “largely supported by evidence.”

A player came forward to the student newspaper, the Daily Northwestern, and revealed that the investigation was not just into allegations of hazing, but alleged coerced sexual acts.

Fitzgerald was also accused of presiding over a “culture of enabling racism.”

There have also been calls for support for Fitzgerald from some former players and alumni.

University president Michael Schill wrote a letter to the Northwestern community Saturday night admitting that the school “may have erred” in the severity of its discipline. Schill then confirmed reports of Fitzgerald’s firing with another letter Monday evening.

“This afternoon, I informed Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald that he was being relieved of his duties effective immediately,” Schill wrote Monday. “The decision comes after a difficult and complex evaluation of my original discipline decision imposed last week on Coach Fitzgerald for his failure to know and prevent significant hazing in the football program.”

Schill said he spent “a great deal of time” discussing the matter with the board of trustees, faculty, students, alumni “and Coach Fitzgerald himself.”

Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg, a former NCAA executive and AD at Tulsa and Eastern Michigan University, was in contact with Schill while on a scheduled overseas vacation, which he reportedly returned from Tuesday. He is reportedly scheduled to meet with the team later Tuesday.

Gragg took over in June 2021 after the resignation of Mike Polisky, previously deputy AD at Northwestern, just days into the job. Polisky stepped down in May 2021 after being named in a sexual harassment lawsuit by former Wildcats cheerleaders.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Northwestern fires coach Pat Fitzgerald

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Northwestern fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday, several media outlets reported, amid continued fallout of a controversy surrounding alleged hazing within the program.

The decision comes three days after Fitzgerald received a two-week suspension without pay following an independent investigation that found hazing allegations were “largely supported by evidence.”

A player then came forward to the student newspaper, the Daily Northwestern, and revealed that some of the hazing included coerced sexual acts. Fitzgerald is also accused of presiding over a culture of racism.

University president Michael Schill wrote a letter to the Northwestern community Saturday night admitting that the school “may have erred” in the severity of its discipline.

Northwestern had not yet confirmed the reports or announced an interim coach.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern investigating hazing allegations

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Northwestern is investigating hazing allegations within its football program, the university confirmed via a statement Wednesday.

The university stressed a fair, diligent process while also emphasizing player safety to be its top priority. Northwestern said it had been made aware of the allegations following the conclusion of the 2022 season.

“While we do not yet know whether the allegations are true, hazing is prohibited by University policy, and we take these claims seriously,” the statement read in part. “Northwestern strongly supports members of our community who come forward with concerns and encourages anyone to report those concerns to the University.”

Per multiple outlets, members of the team were informed Wednesday of the independent investigation, which is being conducted by external attorney Maggie Hickey, of ArentFox Schiff.

“Ms. Hickey has a wealth of experience investigating complaints, and she has the full cooperation of the University and the athletics department,” the statement continued. “Ms. Hickey will lead her investigation independently, but the University expects that Ms. Hickey’s exploration will include interviews with players, coaches and staff. The purpose of Ms. Hickey’s investigation is to find the underlying truth of the allegations — including the scope of any potential hazing activity or harmful culture.”

Northwestern is coached by former player Pat Fitzgerald, a national defensive player of the year in 1995 (Sports Illustrated) and two-time consensus All-American. Fitzgerald has been the head coach of the Wildcats since 2006, compiling a record of 110-101 over 17 seasons.

The Wildcats finished 1-11 (1-8 Big Ten) in 2022.

–Field Level Media