Eight former Northwestern University football players have retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump and a Chicago law firm to pursue legal action for hazing incidents in the program.
ESPN reports Crump and the Levin & Perconti law firm believe they’ve discovered a “vast array of incidents of abuse” within the Northwestern football program. The university recently concluded a six-month investigation into hazing allegations within the program. Northwestern officials announced earlier this month that many of the claims were substantiated but added that coaches, including head coach Pat Fitzgerald, were unaware of the incidents.
The school initially suspended Fitzgerald for two weeks without pay during the summer. However, the decision led to significant backlash from players, faculty, and alumni. As a result, Fitzgerald was fired for cause on July 10.
“Whether the coaches at Northwestern approved or participated in the harassment of these players or not, they are responsible for allowing and enabling a toxic, disgusting, and damaging culture in their programs,” Crump said in a statement. “Sadly, our research suggests that this kind of abuse of student-athletes may be far more common on college campuses than we know because there is tremendous pressure to keep quiet. It’s time for a reckoning to protect young athletes.”
This isn’t the only incident involving a Northwestern sports program. The university also fired its baseball coach, Jim Foster, last week amid substantiated claims of bullying, racism, and sexism during his two-year tenure.
According to ESPN, the firm Levin & Perconti expects more former football players to join its lawsuit, which could include players from the baseball program. In a letter announcing Fitzgerald’s firing, Northwestern University President Michael Schill said the hazing incidents within the football program included “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values.”
After being fired, Fitzgerald retained attorney Dan Webb to bring a possible wrongful termination lawsuit against the university. Fitzgerald played linebacker for Northwestern from 1993 to 1996 before being drafted into the NFL. After his playing days, Fitzgerald returned to the university as a secondary coach in 2001 before being promoted to head coach in 2006. During his time as head coach, the Wildcats were 110-101.