Northwestern President Says He ‘May Have Erred’ in Football Hazing Punishment
Amid detailed information regarding disturbing hazing allegations within the Northwestern football program, university president Michael Schill sent a letter to the school community regarding his decision to suspend head coach Pat Fitzgerald for two weeks without pay.
In the letter, Schill said the initial investigation concluded that there was “no direct evidence” that Fitzgerald knew about the hazing incidents. However, the Northwestern president admitted he “may have erred” in his punishment for Fitzgerald following new detailed allegations, implying the punishment might have been too lenient.
“In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” Schill said. “As the head coach of one of our athletics programs, coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience and our priority to ensure all students – undergraduate and graduate – can thrive during their time at Northwestern. Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction.”
On Saturday, The Daily Northwestern reported in more detail the hazing that an anonymous former player, with corroboration by other players, alleges occurred within the program. Those details include “coerced sexual acts” that were part of an “abrasive and barbaric culture” in Northwestern football, and players assumed Fitzgerald knew about the situation.
Schill did not say whether the length of Fitzgerald’s suspension will be revisited, but he did mention that he learned the name of the player at the center of the allegations just recently.
“I spoke with his family and offered my sincere apologies for what their son had to endure, and I also attempted to reach out to the young man himself to offer my apologies,” Schill said.
The school president mentioned that he will speak with “University leadership and the Board of Trustees” about actions they will take in regard to the allegations.
