Former Northwestern Football Players Speak Out Against Alleged Culture of Abuse and Hazing in Athletics Department

Four former Northwestern University football players and their attorneys held a news conference Wednesday to allege a culture of abuse and hazing in the school’s athletics department. The allegations come one day after the first lawsuit was filed by an anonymous former Wildcats player, whose civil complaint went into detail about hazing carried out within Northwestern’s football program.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said he is representing more than 15 former male and female Northwestern athletes regarding allegations of hazing that “goes into other sports programs” beyond football. Four more former Northwestern football players came forward Wednesday to claim they were also subjected to “extreme ritualized sexual” hazing while at the prestigious Big Ten school.

“It is apparent to us that it is a toxic culture that was rampant in the athletic department at Northwestern University,” Crump told reporters. “The university and the football program has let us down.”

The allegations come in the wake of the firing of Northwestern’s longtime football coach, Pat Fitzgerald, last week. The former players said they are speaking out to ensure that no other student-athletes have to endure the same treatment.

“We want to make sure that this never happens again,” said former player Lloyd Yates. “We want to make sure that the university is held accountable and that the culture of abuse and hazing is eradicated.”