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Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald has been suspended for two weeks, following an investigation into alleged hazing incidents in the locker room. Northwestern didn't find evidence that Fitzgerald knew about the allegations.
An independent investigation into the Northwestern football program started at the end of the 2022 season. Pat Fitzgerald's suspension is unpaid and starts Friday. The Northwestern football coach released a statement after his suspension was made public.
“I was very disappointed when I heard about the allegations of hazing on our football team,” Fitzgerald said. “Although I was not aware of the alleged incidents, I have spoken to University officials, and they informed me of a two-week suspension, effective immediately.
“Northwestern football prides itself on producing not just athletes, but fine young men with character befitting the program and our University,” he said. “We hold our student-athletes and our program to the highest standards; we will continue to work to exceed those standards moving forward.”
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When evidence was found that corroborated claims of hazing made by an anonymous whistle-blower, the school began its own inquiry into the matter.
In addition to suspending Fitzgerald, Northwestern has ended football practices at Camp Kenosha in Wisconsin. It's believed that the hazing might have started at Camp Kenosha, where Fitzgerald and the team held practice for a week during preseason until 2020.
“Hazing in any form is unacceptable and goes against our core values at Northwestern, where we strive to make the University a safe and welcoming environment for all of our students,” university president Michael Schill said in a statement. “Our athletics programs are held to the highest standards, and in this case, we failed to meet them. I expect that today's actions will prevent this from ever happening again.”
