Northwestern University has become the latest American university to face a scandal in athletics, involving allegations of sexual abuse and hazing. A former Wildcats football player filed a lawsuit against Pat Fitzgerald and other school leaders, seeking damages related to a hazing scandal that led to the former football coach’s firing.
The lawsuit is expected to be followed by more lawsuits from former football and baseball players, as well as student-athletes who played other sports at the private Big Ten institution.
The scandal has put Northwestern in the company of other Big Ten schools, such as Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Minnesota, which have faced similar scandals tied to sexual abuse.
At least eight former Northwestern football players have retained attorneys in response to recent revelations, and more lawsuits are anticipated.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago-based Levin & Perconti law firm have scheduled a news conference with former Northwestern athletes to address the situation. Criminal charges are also possible, as hazing has been criminalized in Illinois, where the university is located.
The civil litigation process is expected to be lengthy and complex, given the number of potential plaintiffs and the volume of evidence involved.
Northwestern’s president, Michael Schill, announced that an outside firm will be hired to evaluate the school’s approach to detecting threats to student-athletes’ welfare and to examine the athletics culture in Evanston, Illinois, and its impact on academics at the prestigious institution.
Fitzgerald, who served as Northwestern’s head football coach for 17 seasons and was a former star linebacker for the Wildcats, has denied knowledge of the hazing. He was fired after a university investigation revealed allegations of hazing involving 11 current or former players.
The lawsuit alleges that Fitzgerald, President Schill, the board of trustees, and athletic director Derrick Gragg enabled and concealed sexual misconduct and racial discrimination. The allegations include claims of a culture of racism, including forcing players of color to change their appearance and behavior to conform to the “Wildcat Way.”
As the situation unfolds, Northwestern University will face significant challenges in handling the legal and public relations aspects of the scandal.