Northwestern issues statement in light of report on football hazing allegations

Northwestern has issued a new statement on the hazing allegations around its football program in light of a report from The Daily Northwestern included new details. The report came one day after the university announced coach Pat Fitzgerald would be suspended as a result of the investigation.

The Daily spoke with an anonymous former Wildcats football player who shared details of the alleged hazing that occurred within the program. Although the investigation “did not discover sufficient evidence to believe that coaching staff knew about the ongoing hazing conduct,” Fitzgerald still received a two-week suspension without pay as a result.

The executive summary of the investigation didn’t provide many details, but the allegations in the report from The Daily were disturbing. However, in its statement Saturday, the university didn’t comment on specifics and opted to let the executive summary speak for itself.

“Our first priority is to support and protect our students, including the young man who brought these matters to our attention and all student-athletes who had the courage to come forward in this independent investigation,” the statement read, via ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “That is why the University immediately opened this investigation upon learning of the allegations and why we took decisive action once we ascertained the facts.

“Out of respect for the privacy of our student-athletes, we will not comment about the findings beyond what we stated in the release and executive summary of the investigation.”

The investigation began in January after Northwestern officials learned about hazing allegations within the football program. The university brought in an outside investigator — former Illinois inspector general Maggie Hickey — to conduct the investigation. In addition to Fitzgerald’s suspension, Northwestern’s practices at “Camp Kenosha” in Wisconsin would be permanently discontinued and the university will require someone who doesn’t report to the football coaching staff to monitor the locker room.

“Hazing in any form is unacceptable and goes against our core values at Northwestern, where we strive to make the University a safe and welcoming environment for all of our students,” Northwestern president Michael Schill said in a statement. “Our athletics programs are held to the highest standards, and in this case, we failed to meet them. I expect that today’s actions will prevent this from ever happening again.”

Fitzgerald, a former Northwestern linebacker, is preparing for his 18th season as Wildcats head coach. After winning the Big Ten West title in 2020, Northwestern struggled to a 3-9 record in 2021 and a 1-11 mark in 2022. The Wildcats are set to open the 2023 season against Rutgers on Sept. 3.