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Update:
President of Northwestern University, Michael Schill, admitted “He may have erred in weighing the appropriate sanction” regarding the 2-week suspension of head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Northwestern will also reconsider the penalties for Fitzgerald after new details emerged Saturday surrounding allegations of hazing in the football program, per ESPN.
Original story:
A former Northwestern University football player has detailed disturbing hazing allegations following the suspension of head coach Pat Fitzgerald, as reported by The Daily Northwestern.
The allegations include coerced sexual acts and claims that Coach Fitzgerald may have had knowledge of the hazing activities.
The anonymous player, who spoke to The Daily, described witnessing “egregious and vile and inhumane behavior” during his time on the team. He reported his experiences to the University in November 2022, alleging that the team’s hazing revolved around a practice called “running.”
This punishment involved restraining selected players, usually freshmen, in a dark locker room while upperclassmen wearing “Purge-like” masks “dry-humped” them.
The former player alleges that hazing traditions, such as “Runsgiving” and “Runsmas,” were particularly prevalent during training camp and around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The player explained that team members allegedly identified players for “running” by performing a specific hand-clapping motion known as the “Shrek clap.”
Shockingly, he claimed that Coach Fitzgerald made this signal during practices when freshmen made mistakes, leading some players to believe that the coach knowingly encouraged the hazing.
A second player, who also wished to remain anonymous, confirmed witnessing these alleged hazing activities.
Upon receiving the hazing reports, NU hired an independent law firm to conduct an investigation. Lead investigator Maggie Hickey, former inspector general of Illinois, interviewed coaches, staff, and current and former players, ultimately finding substantial evidence to support the whistleblower’s claims.
The investigation revealed that participation in or knowledge of these hazing activities was widespread among NU football players.
Following the investigation, the University placed Coach Fitzgerald on a two-week unpaid suspension.
In response, Coach Fitzgerald expressed disappointment and claimed to be unaware of the alleged incidents. Although the investigation did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that the coaching staff knew about ongoing hazing, it highlighted missed opportunities to discover and report the conduct.
To address the issue, the University implemented additional sanctions against the team. They now require someone outside the coaching staff to monitor the locker room, and all practices at Camp Kenosha, a training camp location, have been discontinued.
The former player also alleged other hazing traditions, including forced nudity and various degrading acts such as bear crawling and slingshotting with exercise bands.
He described a particularly distressing event called “the carwash,” where naked players would allegedly spin at the entrance to the showers, forcing others to come into contact with their bare bodies.
Additionally, he revealed a practice called “Gatorade shake challenges,” where freshmen were forced to consume excessive amounts of Gatorade shakes, often resulting in vomiting.
The player emphasized the mental consequences suffered by some teammates, including suicidal tendencies, and expressed frustration with what he perceived as lenient sanctions and the University’s decision to keep the details of the investigation confidential.
His aim in coming forward with these allegations is to shed light on the severity of the program’s inhumane traditions and activities.