Pat Fitzgerald has been fired from Northwestern, but the allegations that got him out as head coach are continuing to emerge in the wake of this massive controversy.
According to the Associated Press via ESPN, civil rights attorney Ben Crump is claiming a number of reports from Northwestern’s baseball and softball programs alleging hazing. Crump is currently representing 15 athletes while getting in touch with “dozens more.”
Former Northwestern Wildcats running back Warren Long said that sexual violence and hazing were “rampant” within the football program during his time at the school.
Another former player has already filed a lawsuit against the university related to allegations of hazing inside the Wildcats football program. The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, lists Northwestern University, its board of trustees, and former football head coach Pat Fitzgerald as defendants.
The former player, who filed the lawsuit anonymously, was a member of the Northwestern football team from 2018-22 and claims to have been subjected to “sexualized hazing and physical abuse.”
The lawsuit also alleges racial discrimination within the football program. The plaintiff will seek damages in excess of $50,000, his attorneys told ESPN.
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“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. We intend to hold the defendants, including Fitzgerald, accountable for the alleged actions and seek justice for victims of abuse, hazing, and discrimination,” attorneys Parker Stinar and Adam Pulaski said in a statement.
“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. We applaud the courage of our client and the others who were brave enough to speak out about their experiences in the hopes of ending these types of incidents both at Northwestern and elsewhere.”
Fitzgerald was fired after the results of a months-long investigation into allegations of hazing in the football program.
