Hazing investigation concludes, allegations found to be credible. Fitzgerald to serve two week, unpaid suspension
- Thread starter mshelton33
- Start date
Not exactly the ideal path back to greatness.
End of an era for Kenosha.
I will say this: I believe hazing is a problem, and I believe it is incumbent upon the coaches to establish and enforce a culture that forbids it.
In the same breath I will also say I think it's common for a community to overreact. Is making the freshmen take lunch trays to the trash for their entire position group hazing? Dizzy bat races? Required talent show performances? Big jump from this and taping kids to physical therapy tables, or shaving their heads, or facilitating incidents of legitimate emotional distress.
Whatever the case, I just hope justice is served, whatever that may mean.
End of an era for Kenosha.
I will say this: I believe hazing is a problem, and I believe it is incumbent upon the coaches to establish and enforce a culture that forbids it.
In the same breath I will also say I think it's common for a community to overreact. Is making the freshmen take lunch trays to the trash for their entire position group hazing? Dizzy bat races? Required talent show performances? Big jump from this and taping kids to physical therapy tables, or shaving their heads, or facilitating incidents of legitimate emotional distress.
Whatever the case, I just hope justice is served, whatever that may mean.
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This is not good at all and stabs at the heart of the one thing we always boasted about this program - the wholesome quality and a head coach that really cares about his players as men. I'm not saying this means he doesn't, but it doesn't help that perception.
WildcatReport - Pat Fitzgerald suspended two weeks in hazing investigation
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald's suspension is one of the measures the school announced Friday.
northwestern.rivals.com
Here's Louie's story on the the investigation and its results.
What a distraction.
Though, there likely aren't any better times to serve the suspension as a head coach (particularly if the suspension does not otherwise impact the staff) than for two weeks starting right now.
Though, there likely aren't any better times to serve the suspension as a head coach (particularly if the suspension does not otherwise impact the staff) than for two weeks starting right now.
Guess guys have to stop snapping towels on each other in the locker room.
On the same token, you have to wonder also if it could have been far worse and an underreaction. For all his recent failures, Fitz remains basically bulletproof at NU.
To suspend Fitz — who has fielded two seasons of unwatchable teams with very, very little reason for optimism in ten weeks — speaks to how bad things must have been.
That piece about monitoring by someone who does not report to the football staff says a lot about the culture, I think.
I doubt we’ll learn more. Good for whoever had the courage to come forward.
Its ironic. Fitz runs a cleaner program than 99% of college football coaches and he is the one getting suspended.
Without knowing what the person alleged, I don't know how you can have an opinion.
I could just as easily write.. "what a slimy way to attack somebody."
Here's another link
news.northwestern.edu
Northwestern announces actions to prevent hazing following football investigation
Northwestern University today announced significant actions to address and prevent hazing within its football program, following the completion of an independent investigation into allegations received after the end of the 2022 season.
news.northwestern.edu
🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
Somebody came forward. The university investigated. The university saw fit to suspend the coach.
To me, this validates the allegations. Hopefully, whatever was wrong will be improve by these changes.
So, good for whoever had the courage to come forward.
From Adam Rittenberg's article:
According to an executive summary, the hazing incidents occurred in the team locker room and possibly started at "Camp Kenosha," where Northwestern had spent about a week of the preseason until 2020.
Fitzgerald suspended after Northwestern inquiry
Northwestern is implementing several measures to curb hazing within its football program, including a two-week suspension of coach Pat Fitzgerald after an investigation found evidence to support a claim of problematic conduct.
While it's absolutely possible this is an underreaction, I seriously doubt it. I think it's more likely the punishment fits the crime, so to speak.
I also would not consider Fitz to be "bulletproof" - he certainly has more leeway than someone else under similar circumstances, but he's reporting to a brand new president and a relatively new AD who haven't really seen anything from mediocrity out of the man since they stepped foot on campus...and now this black eye.
I would evaluate that line of thinking as "naive."
You do any evaluation of "locker room conduct" and Northwestern is going to be "troubled" and seek to cover its ass.
Its quite possible that the person making the allegations had an axe to grind. So the presumption of "courage" is off base.
Its also entirely possible that somebody wants Fitz out and this is step one.
Here is a link to Google search with links to a bunch of articles
GoogleLinks
ESPN
USA Today
Yahoo Sports
WGN
The Athletic
Football Scoop
CBS News
Off Tackle Empire
247 Sports
GoogleLinks
ESPN
USA Today
Yahoo Sports
WGN
The Athletic
Football Scoop
CBS News
Off Tackle Empire
247 Sports
The quote that I find puzzling is this:
"While the investigation didn't find any specific misconduct by any individual football player or coach, hazing was found to be widespread."
How is it possible for something to be widespread, yet there are no specific instances of it?
What about the instance that prompted the investigation? They said it was "credible," but what does that mean? Perhaps it means only that it could not be disproven.
"While the investigation didn't find any specific misconduct by any individual football player or coach, hazing was found to be widespread."
How is it possible for something to be widespread, yet there are no specific instances of it?
What about the instance that prompted the investigation? They said it was "credible," but what does that mean? Perhaps it means only that it could not be disproven.
To me, this is "preponderance of evidence" territory. In actual reality, I imagine that even players who would be inclined to protect Fitz had to acknowledge that they were eyewitnesses to XYZ incidents happening.
And yes, literally even towel snapping, which you can imagine in a report, "all players who were interviewed agreed that towel snapping had occurred, with several affirming physical injuries and marks, making it more difficult to engage in daily practices. While no players could or would voluntarily specify who engaged in the behavior, all respondents confirmed it was common."
So by literal definition, towel snapping is assault - physical harm resulting in injury, and it was allowed to occur while Fitz was in the building. Worthy of suspension/public shaming? Shrug. This is where I would personally love more information, so our imaginations don't run too wild in either direction.
My beliefs match yours here. Doesn’t look great. Probably wasn’t anything terrible. Fitz will still live in his mansion in Northfield when his suspension is lifted.
Okay.
Without knowing what was involved, it's impossible to know whether school administration is sweeping this one under the rug or making an example of Fitz to express institutional control. I've seen my local school leadership elevate extremely minor incidents to the county sheriff and school board as well as shrug off behavior that should have led to suspensions.
For whatever it's worth, the gist I heard from someone that used to work as student volunteer with the team about 10 years ago, who was in Camp Kenosha a few times- his thought was 'don't know the specifics of this situation, but have a general idea what they are talking about and strongly suspect it's not that serious, and not different than what happens in every other football locker room in the country.'
Not that it makes everything good or okay, but just one hearsay opinion.
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The problem is, like a lot of things, today’s definition of hazing is very broad.
Beating a kid physically in some way - bad.
Making him sing his high school fight song in front of the team - not so much
Both are considered hazing nowadays.
First one is fireable and jailable and rightfully so. Second one is also fireable in some places and that’s bs.
Not all that sport-specific either. A little-publicized case a few years back in my part of the country involved a women's volleyball program, can you believe? I was close to one of the university administrators who investigated and took what were thought to be appropriate measures. Various offenses were committed, including forced overconsumption of alcohol.
All part of "tradition," it seemed to be. "If I had to do it, so will you."
Hazing happens; plenty of organizations (athletic or Greek) at NU have been caught up in that. (And obviously all around the country).
We had that trifecta of hazing incidents back in late 2005; the mascot group, the women's soccer team, men's swimming all got caught in bad hazing incidents that led to a year of horrible publicity and lots of damage control statements from Murphy.
I doubt this has anything to do with Fitz.
In the first place, all the information from the university points out that Fitz likely didn't know.
Who cares who reported it? It was reported, found to be valid upon investigation, and now will be rectified.
I guarantee that 99% of college football programs haze their freshmen. This slap on the wrist for Fitz may lead to investigations and harsher consequences at other programs.
Especially if the schools can fire the HCs for cause and avoid a massive buyout.
E.g. Fisher at A&M and Tucker at MSU have massive contracts that they’ll never live up to. I’d bet that their boosters will dig up some dirt on them to avoid $50M+ buyouts.
I guarantee that 99% of college football programs haze their freshmen. This slap on the wrist for Fitz may lead to investigations and harsher consequences at other programs.
Especially if the schools can fire the HCs for cause and avoid a massive buyout.
E.g. Fisher at A&M and Tucker at MSU have massive contracts that they’ll never live up to. I’d bet that their boosters will dig up some dirt on them to avoid $50M+ buyouts.
What a prick. I may have to create a Twitter account to tweet other Indiana University athletic scandals at Kopp.
Whatever happened to this cheery fellow?
Hope Miller isn't applying to any jobs where a Northwestern sports fan is the hiring manager.
This is not good. Details emerge from Daily NU
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/...ls-hazing-allegations-after-coach-suspension/
Former NU football player details hazing allegations after coach suspension
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/...ls-hazing-allegations-after-coach-suspension/
Former NU football player details hazing allegations after coach suspension
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Yeah. I like Fitz, but this is inexcusable and he might need to go. The 2 week suspension doesn’t seem appropriate now.
I think Fitz is (and likely should be) toast. This is crap. On the order of the US military or police departments. Vile.
I agree. I just read details from the article and don’t see how Fitz can survive this investigation where the examples of hazing are revealed. I have to think this is only the beginning. It’s just not acceptable behavior and hazing has to be eliminated. This is too big to be ignored by the new administration and I expect more changes besides a 2 week suspension will emerge.
