Northwestern will be reassessing the two-week suspension handed down to coach Pat Fitzgerald, according a statement from university president Michael Schill released late Saturday. The suspension, effective as of Friday, was a result of the school announcing it had wrapped its investigation into hazing allegations within the football program. At the time, the conclusion was that Fitzgerald had no direct knowledge the hazing was taking place.
One day after the findings were revealed, The Daily Northwestern, the school's student newspaper, released a report in which an anonymous ex-player detailed the hazing which allegedly involved coerced sexual acts while also implying that Fitzgerald may have been more aware of the hazing than originally believed. As a result, the school has taken a step back and will reconsider the penalties for the longtime Wildcats football coach.
"In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn't know and not enough on what he should have known," Schill wrote. "As the head coach of one of our athletics programs, coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience. ... Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction."
In the interview, the former Northwestern player described a common hazing practice known as "running," where a player who made an error either in practice or a game setting would be restrained by teammates in the locker room and forced into sexual acts. "Running" allegedly took place only during certain portions of the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"I've seen it with my own eyes, and it's just absolutely egregious and vile and inhumane behavior," the player, who asked to remain anonymous in this story, said.
ESPN followed up with the former player on Sunday, who confirmed that he and his family had spoken to Schill, describing the school president as "extremely receptive." The ex-player also detailed another aspect of the hazing known as "SHREK'S LIST," where players' names would be written on a whiteboard bulleted under categories such as "naked bear crawls" and "naked slingshot."
In a statement released to ESPN, current members of the Northwestern football team pledged that hazing is not tolerated within the program while also throwing their support behind Fitzgerald.
"We want to reiterate that as representatives of the Northwestern Football program, we do not tolerate hazing in any form," the statement read. "Hazing goes against our values of respect, integrity, and personal growth. We are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes the well-being and development of every individual on our team."
"It is crucial to note that our head coach, Pat Fitzgerald, was not involved in any of the alleged incidents in any way, shape, or form," the statement continued. "Coach Fitzgerald had no knowledge of these allegations until they were brought to his attention during the investigation. Throughout his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has consistently prioritized the well-being and development of his players, and we stand behind him in his unwavering commitment to our team."
While Fitzgerald's suspension is still under review, the school has taken steps to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
- Practices at Camp Kenosha will be permanently discontinued.
- Independent monitoring of the football locker room.
- The creation of an online reporting tool specifically for student athletes to anonymously report incidents of potential hazing or hazing-related concerns.
- Annual mandatory anti-hazing training for all coaches, staff members and student-athletes.
- The creation of an internal working group comprising Northwestern leaders to create a report on policy development, organizational culture, communication, training and enforcement.
- A revised policy to utilize the annual student-athlete-survey process to ensure coaches are aware of and act on student concerns.
- Further cooperation with the NCAA and Big Ten to ensure all processes and rules are followed.
