Northwestern football players speak out on hazing allegations
EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Former and current Northwestern football players have spoken out in wake of hazing allegations.
This comes after the university's president Michael Schill said he may have made a mistake in the punishment handed down to head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks without pay, as disturbing allegations continue to emerge about hazing within the football program.
Michael Schill, said in part, "I may have erred in weighing the appropriate sanction. 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."
The about-face came hours after the university's student-run newspaper ran an interview with a former player, who described in agonizing detail sexualized hazing practices he said routinely take place inside the locker room. One common practice, called "running," involved a younger player being restrained while eight to 10 older players engaged in a sexualized act in the locker room. Versions of "running" took place during certain portions of the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"It's a shocking experience as a freshman to see your fellow freshman teammates get ran, but then you see everybody bystanding in the locker room," the former player told The Daily Northwestern. "It's just a really abrasive and barbaric culture that has permeated throughout that program for years on end now."
According to the newspaper, the former player reported his claims to the school in late 2022, and he spoke to investigators during the university-commissioned probe, whose findings were released Friday.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg interviewed former and current players, including the whistleblower who sparked a six-month investigation.
"Some might have seen it as fun, others were uncomfortable. There's that fine line between team building, team bonding and then outright hazing," Rittenberg said.
Rittenberg said the whistleblower shared similar hazing allegations with him, also detailed in the university's student-run newspaper.
"He detailed, you know, what he believes was widespread hazing that went on during his career at Northwestern," Rittenberg said. "There were other incidents, you know, whether it was how many Gatorade shakes you could drink in 10 minutes. There were other naked incidents that happened in the locker room, according to this whistleblower."
In a letter signed by the entire Northwestern football team, players call the allegations "exaggerated and twisted" also adding that "Northwestern football players do not tolerate hazing."
"It is disheartening to see that the allegations brought forth against our team have been exaggerated and twisted into lies. These fabrications have been made with the intention of harming our program and tarnish the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff," the statement added. "We firmly deny the validity of these accusations and stand united in our assertion that they do not reflect the true character of our team."
The university president also said he will speak with the board of trustees and other leaders to determine a new punishment for Fitzgerald, who's been coaching since 2006.
ESPN contributed to this report.
Source: WLS-TV
