Daily article details hazing allegations.

[rmndcat]

Sickening if true.

Former NU football player details hazing allegations

Content warning: This article contains mention of hazing, sexual assault and suicidal ideation. A former Northwestern University football player told The Daily some of the hazing conduct investigated by the university involved coerced sexual acts. A second player confirmed these details. The...

dailynorthwestern.com

 

[ashley0623]

Before that article came out, there was at least the cloak of it not being a huge deal since “hazing” is vague and its usage can cover such a broad spectrum.

Now that details have emerged, I would be stunned if Fitz survives. Also, whichever players perpetrated those acts are awful and deserve to be outed.

 

[T_Levine]

This is not good. Not at all

 

[mountaindrew]

Before that article came out, there was at least the cloak of it not being a huge deal since “hazing” is vague and its usage can cover such a broad spectrum.

Now that details have emerged, I would be stunned if Fitz survives. Also, whichever players perpetrated those acts are awful and deserve to be outed.

Yes, I agree they deserve to be outed. THAT is how this kind of shit stops.

In the meantime, this could end up being a lot worse for NU than the gambling/Lundy mess. It could drag on in the media for quite a long time. Hard to see how Fitz survives this.

Not to mention that, if Fitz is fired in the coming weeks, how will the team respond to this turmoil in the coming season? It could be a storm cloud that hovers over and hurts the team's performance the way Wheeler's tragic death did in 2001. Ungood.

 

[CatManTrue]

Much worse than previously thought. These are very ugly allegations, and I think Fitz should step down as head coach. Especially if it’s true that he signalled for it.

Sexual assault has no place in athletics.

 

[jimmyNU]

As an alum, I am embarrassed. It's time to clean house.
Does anyone honestly think that Fitz was completely unaware?

 

[1830sherman]

1. Great job by the Daily. If not for this story, we'd likely have been left with endless speculation, ranging from No Big Deal to Egregious Malfeasance.

2. Great job by the Daily, but gotta keep in mind that these are two anonymous sources. If the accusations are true, the anonymity is completely justifiable, but at this point, there's no on-record corroboration. Just two (seemingly very credible) anonymous sources said this.

3. Great job by the Daily, but...they really needed to reach out to Fitz for comment, and give him the chance to respond. Seriously doubt he would have, but the outreach still needs to be there.

Looking forward to follow-ups from the Daily.

 

[FeralFelidae]

As an alum, I am embarrassed. It's time to clean house.
Does anyone honestly think that Fitz was completely unaware?

Well... If true, they might need something more concrete than the coach clapping in practice.

Did any of the victims bring any of this up to the coaching staff?

 

[FanatiCat]

1. Great job by the Daily. If not for this story, we'd likely have been left with endless speculation, ranging from No Big Deal to Egregious Malfeasance.

2. Great job by the Daily, but gotta keep in mind that these are two anonymous sources. If the accusations are true, the anonymity is completely justifiable, but at this point, there's no on-record corroboration. Just two (seemingly very credible) anonymous sources said this.

3. Great job by the Daily, but...they really needed to reach out to Fitz for comment, and give him the chance to respond. Seriously doubt he would have, but the outreach still needs to be there.

Looking forward to follow-ups from the Daily.

Agree with all your points. It’s hard to deny that with all the specifics cited, this is AWFUL even if it’s 50% exaggerated. As for the lack of balance in getting comment from Fitz or other coaches, and/or some more tempered comments from other players, I just attribute that to the short news cycle and the Daily needing to get something out ASAP before some random person scoops them on Twitter.

I’ve never been in an athletic locker room past high school and I imagine the offenses described were not invented by our student athletes, i.e. this happens numerous other places too. BUT regardless of that fact these are awful, awful things to do to fellow students/teammates/human beings no matter what generation or belief system you grew up in.

This is really bad for the program, worse than the Lundy betting/point shaving deal. Not as bad as Rashidi Wheeler’s death during practice because no one died - although the anonymous source said that some kids may have been suicidal. If any of them had acted on it as a result of the bullying and sexual assault, that would be tragic.

 

[CrippleCat]

Well... If true, they might need something more concrete than the coach clapping in practice.

Did any of the victims bring any of this up to the coaching staff?

Well my son was at NU on the team from 2016 to 2020 and he was never "hazed" None of the allegations put forward by these brave "ANONYMOUS" sources happened to my son. I am quite certain if anything that was alleged to be going on was going on , a player would just have to state he didn't want any part of such actions. Not participate and then cry victim. As for Coach Fitz, he isn't there to babysit grown men 24/7. If a player felt he was being mistreated all he had to do was go tell a coach or a team member that he felt uncomfortable or didn't want any part of such activity. Why didn't this brave ANONYMOUS source report it when it happened, especially if he felt there were teammates who were suicidal ? You would think if players were suicidal he would of felt obligated to possibly save a teammates life ?

 

[RevCat]

Yes, I agree they deserve to be outed. THAT is how this kind of shit stops.

In the meantime, this could end up being a lot worse for NU than the gambling/Lundy mess. It could drag on in the media for quite a long time. Hard to see how Fitz survives this.

Not to mention that, if Fitz is fired in the coming weeks, how will the team respond to this turmoil in the coming season? It could be a storm cloud that hovers over and hurts the team's performance the way Wheeler's tragic death did in 2001. Ungood.

I think the team has been living with "turmoil" (a polite euphemism for criminal sexual assault) for quite some time.

Rather than playing the part of damage control nabobs guarding the bottom line the Northwestern administration needs to find their moral voice (good luck with that in pusillanimous bullshit corporate culture) and take clear, decisive action.

 

[Darren72]

Why didn't this brave ANONYMOUS source report it when it happened, especially if he felt there were teammates who were suicidal ? You would think if players were suicidal he would of felt obligated to possibly save a teammates life ?

Why assume he didn’t do this? He clearly told some people.

You seem to be saying that this couldn’t have happened, or couldn’t be this bad, because one of the victims didn’t follow a particular reporting protocol.

That argument doesnt resonate with me.

Plus you don’t know what process this person followed.

 

[CrippleCat]

Why assume he didn’t do this? He clearly told some people.

So you think he told a coach ? And then if the coaching staff ignored it he told the AD , and then the AD ignored it and he had no recourse to save a players life ?

 

[cidsports]

Terrible allegations. In 2016, hazing lead to a death of a student-athlete.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/10/us/jordan-hankins-northwestern-aka-sorority-lawsuit/index.html

Now, we learn the investigation goes back to 2014 regarding hazing and sexualized acts within the FB program.

There should be no tolerance for hazing or sexual assault.

Ex-Northwestern players claim hazing involved sexualized acts after school suspends coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald was issued an unpaid two-week suspension, effective Friday, following an investigation into hazing allegations within the program. - CBS Sports

From Penn State to Michigan State to Ohio State and now Northwestern FB, sad to hear this news impacting another Big Ten athletic program.

 

[CrippleCat]

Why assume he didn’t do this? He clearly told some people.

You seem to be saying that this couldn’t have happened, or couldn’t be this bad, because one of the victims didn’t follow a particular reporting protocol.

That argument doesnt resonate with me.

Plus you don’t know what process this person followed.

I know if my son thought lives were in danger he would have found a way to get such actions to stop. I don't think it would be too hard.

 

[Darren72]

What makes you think a coach or the A.D. ignored it? The university started an investigation, as they should have. Clearly something triggered the investigation. It doesn’t come out of thin air. The player doesn’t start the investigation.

 

[1830sherman]

So you think he told a coach ? And then if the coaching staff ignored it he told the AD , and then the AD ignored it and he had no recourse to save a players life ?

So, to be clear, you're saying you think this entire story was made up by two guys? A complete invention?

If that's the case--or if, (maybe a little more credibly) it's all an exaggeration put out there by a couple of guys with an axe to grind--then there surely will be an onslaught of players, present and past, who will come forth to issue denials and set the record straight.

 

[Darren72]

I know if my son thought lives were in danger he would have found a way to get such actions to stop. I don't think it would be too hard.

Exactly. If your son had reported something like this, it would lead to a University investigation, just like there is now.

I don’t really understand what you’re trying to say. Do you think this kid is making it up? Is the reason that you think he’s making it up because there was a University investigation, rather than coaches dealing with it internally?

My point is, the fact that there was a University investigation means it was reported. You don’t know, and I don’t know, whether it was reported to an assistant coach first, or to someone else. For all I know, it was reported to Fitz first. The point is once it was reported to somebody, the university followed up on it.

 

[CrippleCat]

So, to be clear, you're saying you think this entire story was made up by two guys? A complete invention?

If that's the case--or if, (maybe a little more credibly) it's all an exaggeration put out there by a couple of guys with an axe to grind--then there surely will be an onslaught of players, present and past, who will come forth to issue denials and set the record straight.

I stepped forward and said my son wasn't mistreated nor did he mistreat anyone at NU.

 

[CrippleCat]

Exactly. If your son had reported something like this, it would lead to a University investigation, just like there is now.

I don’t really understand what you’re trying to say. Do you think this kid is making it up? Is the reason that you think he’s making it up because there was a University investigation, rather than coaches dealing with it internally?

My point is, the fact that there was a University investigation means it was reported. You don’t know, and I don’t know, whether it was reported to an assistant coach first, or to someone else. For all I know, it was reported to Fitz first. The point is once it was reported to somebody, the university followed up on it.

My point is how is grown men acting like idiots and participating in idiotic things Fitz fault ? Especially if he didn't know about it ?

 

[CrippleCat]

I will end my posts with this. There is no coach that I would have rather had my son coached by than Coach Fitz. And there is no college football program I would rather my son have been a part of. Fitz and his staff were excellent to my son and looked after him like he was one of their own.. I hope to see you all in purple some time this next season. Go Cats

 

[phatcat]

My point is how is grown men acting like idiots and participating in idiotic things Fitz fault ? Especially if he didn't know about it ?

The legal term is "knew or should have known". Best case is criminal negligence. And the university had the chance to fix it but gave him a vacation instead.

Keep in mind that some of these kids were 17 at the time.

This is sexual harassment. Any employer the size of NU provides rigorous training around it. Fitz and staff are culpable.

 

[stpaulcat]

Yes, I agree they deserve to be outed. THAT is how this kind of shit stops.

In the meantime, this could end up being a lot worse for NU than the gambling/Lundy mess. It could drag on in the media for quite a long time. Hard to see how Fitz survives this.

Not to mention that, if Fitz is fired in the coming weeks, how will the team respond to this turmoil in the coming season? It could be a storm cloud that hovers over and hurts the team's performance the way Wheeler's tragic death did in 2001. Ungood.

Performance? FUGGITABOUTIT.

 

[stpaulcat]

Perspective. I do not endorse hazing, but I have experienced it, and back then I thought it was just part of the deal. I was never an instigator, and that is the part I do not understand and looking back, wonder about--who are the instigators and what are their motives? Especially in Greek Life, NU has a significant history of turning a blind eye to hazing, so to suddenly be so high and mighty is a bit hypocritical. In my Navy Special Operations training, there was no hazing--it was tough, but no sadism. So why, in the University setting has this been so prevalent? Time to weed out the sadists? Will a portion of the football team be gone by Fall, will Fitz be gone by Fall? I hope not, but they need to learn from this.

 

[jimmyNU]

Well my son was at NU on the team from 2016 to 2020 and he was never "hazed" None of the allegations put forward by these brave "ANONYMOUS" sources happened to my son. I am quite certain if anything that was alleged to be going on was going on , a player would just have to state he didn't want any part of such actions. Not participate and then cry victim. As for Coach Fitz, he isn't there to babysit grown men 24/7. If a player felt he was being mistreated all he had to do was go tell a coach or a team member that he felt uncomfortable or didn't want any part of such activity. Why didn't this brave ANONYMOUS source report it when it happened, especially if he felt there were teammates who were suicidal ? You would think if players were suicidal he would of felt obligated to possibly save a teammates life ?

Reporting wrongdoing inside a culture that is involved in the wrongdoing is not easy. I can see how any victims of this treatment would think, "what's the point of telling my position coach? they're all in on it".