Former Northwestern football players retain lawyers for expected legal action in hazing scandal

Eight former Northwestern University football players who say they were subjected to hazing are being represented for expected legal action by prominent attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago firm Levin & Perconti.

The eight players say they were forced to endure humiliating acts and racial bias that inflicted “severe physical discomfort, sexual abuse and psychological trauma,” according to a news release Monday from the law firm.

The hazing scandal became public July 7, when university President Michael Schill announced he was suspending football coach Patrick Fitzgerald for two weeks, following an investigation of the matter.

After the Daily Northwestern college newspaper followed up to reveal details from two alleged victims, including simulated sex abuse of players by other masked athletes, Schill fired Fitzgerald.

On Thursday, the school also fired baseball coach Jim Foster after allegations of bullying and abusive behavior.

Football allegations include forced acts while naked, termed “bear-crawls,” “car-wash,” and “under-center snap.” Perhaps the most concerning, the release stated, is a ritual known as “running,” where eight to 10 upperclassmen wearing masks would restrain a player and “dry-hump” them in front of the rest of the team.

Other incidents include the “Gatorade Shake Challenge,” causing physical discomfort to the extent of sickness and vomiting.

At least three former players also have alleged a culture of racism within the program, with black coaches and players pressured to cut off longer hairstyles to fit the “Wildcat Way.”

The attorneys say their research suggests this kind of abuse of student-athletes may be far more common than is widely known, making this “time for a reckoning to protect young athletes,” Crump said. The lawyers said they aim to expose “rampant, systemic abuse” within collegiate sports, not just at Northwestern.

“Whether the coaches at Northwestern approved or participated in the harassment of these players or not, they are responsible for allowing and enabling a toxic, disgusting, and damaging culture in their programs,” Crump said.

The former players participating in legal action want to validate the allegations made by two players quoted in the Daily Northwestern article, attorney Steve Levin said, adding that some players had suicidal thoughts.

“They believe that more stringent oversight and accountability are required in college athletics to prevent such abuses from happening to other players in the future,” Levin said.

Crump has represented students who were sexually abused or assaulted at Ohio State and Michigan State. He also has represented the families of those who were killed in alleged racist attacks, including Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

Fitzgerald has retained prominent attorney Dan Webb to “protect my rights” in the case.

In response to the attorneys’ news release, Northwestern spokesman Jon Yates released a statement saying that the school protects student welfare “with the utmost seriousness.”

“When the university was made aware of anonymous hazing complaints in November 2022, we acted immediately with an independent investigator to conduct a comprehensive review of the allegations,” the statement read. “We have taken a number of subsequent actions to eliminate hazing from our football program, and we expect to introduce additional actions in the coming weeks. The administration is committed to working alongside the board of trustees, the faculty and the student body to ensure that hazing has no place in student life at Northwestern.”