Fallout from the hazing scandal that has upended the Northwestern football program continued Wednesday with former athletes speaking out against the athletic department's allegedly abusive culture. Their public remarks came after two lawsuits were filed this week against university leaders, including ex-Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Warren Miles-Long, a running back and linebacker from 2013 to 2017, said "sexual violence and sexual assault was rampant" during his time in the program, according to ESPN.
Lloyd Yates, who played quarterback and receiver from 2015 to 2017, said "the university and football program has let us down."
"We were thrown into a culture where physical, emotional and sexual abuse was normalized," Yates said. He also added that the school's culture "was especially devastating for many players of color," according to ESPN.
In a statement, Fitzgerald's attorney, Dan Webb, claimed the press conferences produced "imprecise" allegations that were merely a repetition of prior allegations publicized by The Daily Northwestern.
"As regards our client, Coach Pat Fitzgerald, no arguments were made that would present any substantive, detailed, factual allegations, let alone evidence, about Coach Fitzgerald's conduct," Webb's statement said. "The statements made by the lawyers and former student athletes, and those contained in the complaint filed by the one unnamed plaintiff, still fail to city any specific facts or evidence beyond the broad-based statements published in the July 8 article."
On Tuesday, one former player filed a suit naming Fitzgerald and other university leaders as defendants. The suit seeks damages on behalf of the former player, who is identified as John Doe, according to the Associated Press. Wednesday, a second suit was filed by another former player, according to documents obtained by ESPN, in which ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is also named as a defendant. Phillips served as Northwestern athletic director from 2008-21.
"This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my entire family called home," Phillips said in a Thursday statement. "Over my thirty-year career in intercollegiate athletics, my highest priority has always been the health and safety of all student-athletes. Hazing is completely unacceptable anywhere, and my heart goes out to anyone who carries the burden of having been mistreated. Any allegation that I ever condoned or tolerated inappropriate conduct against student-athletes is absolutely false. I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary."
Also named as defendants are Northwestern University president Michael Schill, the school's board of trustees and athletic director Derrick Gragg. The lawsuits allege the school leaders concealed sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.
Several former players have also retained high-profile legal counsel in the wake of the scandal which led to Fitzgerald's firing on July 11. Fitzgerald was initially issued a two-week suspension on July 8 following a months-long independent investigation into hazing allegations within the program. But as more details of the allegations came to light through reporting by The Daily Northwestern, Schill announced he would revisit the punishment for Fitzgerald. Ultimately, that led to the dismissal of the program's all-time wins leader and one of the longest-tenured Power Five coaches. Days later, Northwestern baseball coach Jim Foster has was also fired amid abuse allegations.
The lawsuits target the entire athletic department, with attorney Parker Stinar telling the Associated Press that "it's a tainted athletic department."
"It wasn't just confined to one bad actor," Stinar told the AP. "It wasn't just confined to one team, like the football team. It also included a culture that was accepted and tolerated and encouraged on the baseball team and other sports teams, and also with men and women's sports."
In a letter addressed to Northwestern's faculty and staff, Schill said he is "restricted in discussing specifics" of the litigation. However, he announced two additional independent reviews to evaluate the school's accountability mechanism and its ability to detect threats to student-athletes.
"I write to you today to give you my commitment that I will continue to do whatever is necessary to address this situation and ensure that our athletic program remains one you can be proud of and one that is fully aligned with and reflects our values," Schill wrote. "Equally important, I give you my commitment that we will redouble our efforts to safeguard the welfare of each and every student-athlete at Northwestern."
Northwestern elevated first-year defensive coordinator David Braun to interim coach for the 2023 season as the Wildcats try and recover from a 1-11 season. Braun, linebacker Bryce Gallagher, defensive back Rod Heard II and receiver Bryce Kirtz are set to represent the program at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis on July 26.
