Northwestern University’s football coach has been suspended and changes are being made in the athletic department following an external investigation into hazing allegations. According to USA Today, Head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be without pay for a two-week period. While the investigation did not find evidence of specific misconduct by any individual player or coach, the school stated that participation in or knowledge of the hazing activities was widespread among football players.
According to the Daily Northwestern, the hazing included stripping players naked and engaging in sex acts. A former player described a ritual where freshman players were taken to the locker room, pinned down by upperclassmen wearing masks, and subjected to dry-humping. The former player stated that this was sexual abuse disguised as team bonding. Another player confirmed this account and shared that when Coach Fitzgerald clapped over his head after a player made a mistake in practice, it was interpreted as an endorsement of hazing.
The current players on the team released a statement denying the accusations and asserting that their coach was not involved in any hazing. Fitzgerald expressed disappointment upon hearing about the allegations after his suspension. Northwestern University has announced several changes, including having someone not affiliated with the coaching staff stationed at the locker room for monitoring purposes, creating an online reporting tool for anonymous hazing reports from student-athletes, and requiring anti-hazing training for coaches, staff members, and student-athletes annually.
These measures aim to address the issue of hazing and prevent its recurrence.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
