Northwestern, Ex-Players to Settle Lawsuits Related to 2023 Hazing Scandal

Former coach Pat Fitzgerald's suit against the university remains outstanding.

An equipment trailer bearing the Northwestern logo sits on the sidelines of Camp Randall Stadium during a 2017 football game. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Northwestern and a group of ex-players will settle a series of lawsuits alleging abusive behavior and hazing on the university's football team, a spokesperson told reporters Tuesday morning.

According to Anna Savchenko of WBEZ-FM in Chicago, "the agreement 'will fully resolve the student plaintiffs’ claims' against the school and former. . . coach Pat Fitzgerald."

The intended settlement comes nearly two years after Fitzgerald's July 2023 firing. After an internal investigation revealed the existence of hazing within the program, university president Michael Schill initially suspended Fitzgerald for two weeks—a punishment that received widespread scrutiny after the school newspaper reported lurid details of what the hazing allegedly entailed.

Northwestern dismissed Fitzgerald on July 10 of that year, two days after The Daily Northwestern's report became public. Fitzgerald then sued the university, claiming wrongful termination; that lawsuit remains outstanding, spokesperson Jon Yates told Savchenko.

Fitzgerald's attorneys told WBEZ and other media outlets that his lawsuit against the university is currently headed to trial on Nov. 3.

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