Allegations of hazing within Northwestern University’s football program have grown more widespread, with additional reports of misconduct from male and female athletes in two other sports. These athletes have also suggested that the football team’s culture of sexual abuse and racial discrimination was so pervasive that the coaches must have been aware of it. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, along with other lawyers from the Levin & Perconti law firm, have received disturbing accounts from former baseball and softball players, in addition to new complaints from the football program. Crump believes this is a civil rights issue that needs to be addressed, according to the AP.
“I firmly believe that these players deserve respect and should not have to endure hazing, intimidation, or retaliation,” stated Crump. It appears that black football players faced an additional layer of abuse. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, former football coach Pat Fitzgerald is accused of creating a culture of racism, such as forcing players of color to conform by cutting their hair and modifying their behavior to align with the “Wildcat Way.” Former Northwestern quarterback, Loyd Yates, who is black, described the abusive culture as particularly devastating for players of color. Crump and Chicago-based attorney Steven Levin are representing 15 individuals.
Warren Miles Long, a running back on the football team from 2013, claimed that players were subjected to a culture of sexual violence and hazing, making it unclear whether these activities were limited to Northwestern or considered normal within the sport. The attorneys did not provide specific details regarding the complaints from former baseball and softball players. After allegations of misconduct, Northwestern fired baseball coach Jim Foster last week, just three days after dismissing Fitzgerald. Yates stated that every member of the team was a victim, regardless of their role, and expressed disappointment in the school and the team’s lack of leadership. “The university and football program let us down, and that’s why we are here today,” said Yates, surrounded by former teammates who have also retained the services of Crump’s legal team.
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