Northwestern Football Players Prepare To Sue University For Alleged Hazing Activities

Eight Northwestern football players are in the process of suing the university over hazing allegations.

Former head coach coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired by Northwestern following hazing allegations that were incredibly sexual in nature. Now, the program has been engulfed by chaos, and it appears a lawsuit is imminent.

Eight players have retained Ben Crump and the law firm Levin & Perconti to represent them in any upcoming legal action that might happen, according to a Monday release.

Judging from the release, a lawsuit is guaranteed and the allegations in it will be serious.

Northwestern football players gear up to sue the school. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Northwestern players lawyer up to sue school

The statement announcing the upcoming legal action stated the following, in part:

Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Steven M. Levin, founding partner of Levin & Perconti, have been retained by 8 former student athletes who were subject to hazing, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at Northwestern University and are in conversations with many others. 
From forced participation in humiliating acts and racial bias to punishments that inflicted severe physical discomfort and psychological trauma, the lawyers have uncovered a vast array of incidents of abuse in the Northwestern football program. The legal action is expected to expand beyond Northwestern’s football program and will expose extreme and abusive hazing in other college athletic programs as well.
...
Allegations include forced naked acts, termed "bear-crawls," "car-wash," and “under-center snap”. Perhaps the most concerning is a ritual known as "running," where eight to ten upperclassmen wearing masks would restrain a player and "dry-hump" them in front of the rest of the team. Other incidents include the "Gatorade Shake Challenge," causing physical discomfort to the extent of sickness and vomiting. Furthermore, at least three former players have alleged a culture of racism within the program, with black coaches and players pressured to cut off longer hairstyles to fit the "Wildcat Way."

It's also noted in the release that one of the players was a minor at the time he started with the program. The identity of the eight players being represented isn't known at this time.

A lawsuit against Northwestern appears imminent after allegations of hazing. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

The Wildcats and the university face serious allegations.

It was obvious a lawsuit was coming as soon as Fitzgerald was fired.

This was the next logical step. If the allegations of hazing of a sexual nature are indeed true then it also wouldn't be shocking if a criminal case was opened up.

Forcing players to strip naked is a crime. For now, it looks like a group of players will sue the university.

Given how bad the PR situation is in Evanston, it's hard to imagine the university wouldn't look to settle. Does Northwestern really want whatever might be found in discovery coming out? Seems doubtful.

University president Michael Schill already botched the handling of Fitzgerald's job security. First, it was a two-week suspension in the offseason. Then, it quickly escalated to firing him after The Daily Northwestern released more information.

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired after allegations of hazing surfaced. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

The situation has been nothing short of a disaster for the Wildcats and everyone in the locker room. Now, it appears a huge legal battle is brewing. Again, none of the allegations have been proven in court, but NW clearly wanted Fitzgerald gone. That's happened. Now, it's time to deal with the fallout.