1st Hazing Scandal Lawsuit Filed By Ex-Northwestern Player

CHICAGO — The first lawsuit against Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald, the university's president and athletic director, and others has been filed by a former player who says he was among those who were victims of “sexualized” hazing and physical abuse while members of the university’s football program.

The plaintiff filed anonymously in the suit, which was filed Tuesday morning. The suit lists Fitzgerald – who was fired last week for his role in the hazing scandal — as well as Northwestern Athletic Director Derrick Gragg and Northwestern President Michael Schill as defendants in the suit, which is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.

The university itself as well as the school’s Board of Trustees are also listed as defendants. The plaintiff was a member of Northwestern’s program between 2018 and 2022, according to the suit, which claims that Fitzgerald took part in the “harassment, hazing, bullying, assault and/or abuse of athletes.”

One of the player's attorneys, Patrick Salvi, told the Associated Press that the scope of the allegations "isn't confined to one bad actor" and "wasn't confined to one team." He said it also involves the school's baseball team and other men's and women's sports at the university.

"So it's a tainted athletic department," Salvi told the AP.

Fitzgerald, who was initially suspended for two weeks without pay in the scandal, has repeatedly said he had no knowledge of the hazing that allegedly took place. On Tuesday, Fitzgerald's attorney, Dan Webb, said that the plaintiff who filed the lawsuit recites "the same anonymous allegations" that were laid out in the Daily Northwestern report that details of the hazing players allege took place.

"Nothing in (the lawsuit) comes close to contradicting the conclusions of the months-long investigation led by attorney Maggie Hickey that Coach Fitzgerald had no knowledge whatsoever of any form of hazing within the Northwestern football program."

Webb added that the suit has no validity and said Fitzgerald will "aggressively defend" against the allegations with facts and evidence.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the university said it is its policy not to comment on pending litigation.

"Protecting the welfare of every student at Northwestern University is central to our mission and something we approach with utmost seriousness," the school said in its statement. "When the University was made aware of anonymous hazing complaints in November 2022, we acted immediately with an independent investigator to conduct a comprehensive review of the allegations.

"We have taken a number of subsequent actions to eliminate hazing from our football program and we will introduce additional actions in the coming weeks. The administration is committed to working alongside the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and the student body to ensure that hazing has no place at Northwestern."

In a longer online letter from Schill to Northwestern faculty and the university community posted on Tuesday, Schill wrote that he "will continue to do whatever is necessary to address this situation and ensure that our athletic program remains one you can be proud of and one that is fully aligned with and reflects our values. Equally important, I give you my commitment that we will redouble our efforts to safeguard the welfare of each and every student-athlete at Northwestern."

Schill said in the letter that after several steps were introduced recently to eliminate hazing from the school's football program, those steps — while necessary and appropriate — "are just the start" and will be implemented in the near future, the school administrator wrote.

The suit comes one day after civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced that he, along with Chicago-based law firm Levin & Perconti, will represent eight former players who are taking legal action against the university in regard to the scandal that cost Fitzgerald his job last week.

Crump's law office announced on Tuesday that he now represents 12 former players and will address specific allegations brought by former players at a news conference on Wednesday morning in Chicago.

The plaintiff’s attorneys, Patrick Salvi and Parker Stinar, allege the University, Fitzgerald, and other defendants affiliated with the University were negligent in failing to prevent hazing traditions, failing to intervene in hazing traditions, failing to protect students from acts that were assaultive, illegal and often sexual in nature, among other allegations.

“It is alleged that Fitzgerald knew, enabled, and encouraged this behavior and created a culture of abuse within the football program that carried over throughout the athletic department,” the former player’s attorneys said in a statement released on Tuesday. “We intend to hold the defendants, including Fitzgerald, accountable for the alleged actions and seek justice for victims of abuse, hazing, and discrimination.

“Institutions, athletic departments, and coaches are responsible for creating a safe and supportive environment for student-athletes. There is no place for the vile and disturbing hazing incidents that have taken place within the Northwestern football program.”

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• Northwestern Investigating 'Bullying' By Baseball Coach: Report
• Northwestern Fires Coach Fitzgerald Over Hazing Scandal
• Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Suspended Over Hazing Probe
• Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Suspended Over Hazing Probe

The Associated Press contributed to this report