New lawsuits allege 'devastating' sexual hazing in Northwestern University football program.
August 1, 2023, 6:15 PMNorthwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald pumps his fist after a touchdown against Michigan State, Sept. 3, 2021, at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.In two new lawsuits filed against Northwestern University, former football players allege they were subjected to demeaning and tortuousas freshmen by veteran teammates and that coaches either knew about it, encouraged it or ignored the allegations when they were told.
The court documents claim Fitzgerald and his coaching staff knew or should have known about the hazing "initiations" and "traditions" of his Wildcats' football program. The complaints allege the behavior "groomed" incoming freshmen players to believe it "was normal."Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald pumps his fist after a touchdown against Michigan State, Sept. 3, 2021, at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.
Eight former players are now suing the university over the alleged abuse they say they endured while members of the elite Big Ten Conference football team.The latest lawsuits were filed on behalf of Warren Miles Long -- a former running back on the team, who played in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks -- and an unnamed player referred to in court papers as John Doe 2.
While the independent investigation, conducted by attorney Maggie Hickey of the law firm ArentFox, did not find "sufficient" evidence that Fitzgerald and his coaches knew of the ongoing hazing, it did conclude that coaching staff had "significant opportunities" to find out about the conduct. The Northwestern scandal comes after New Mexico State University fired its head basketball coach this year and agreed to an $8 million settlement with two basketball players who filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted by teammates. The new lawsuits also cite hazing allegations raised in 2000 that caused the University of Vermont to cancel its hockey team's season, and the dismissal of four players from Georgia Southern University in 1999 for hazing.
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