Three more former N’western players file lawsuits
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Three former Northwestern players have filed lawsuits against the school and former coach Pat Fitzgerald, alleging hazing and mistreatment within the football program, including the initial whistleblower who sparked an investigation into the claims.
Former linebacker Nathan Fox, who played for Northwestern from 2015 to 2019, and two men identified as John Doe filed the lawsuits in Cook County circuit court this week. Both Fox and the whistleblower, identified as John Doe 22, spoke with attorney Maggie Hickey, whom Northwestern hired to investigate John Doe 22’s allegations after they were first brought forward in late 2022.
Hickey’s investigation found that the player’s hazing allegations could largely be corroborated but that there was no evidence Fitzgerald and other coaches and staff members had knowledge of the incidents. After Hickey’s investigation concluded, Northwestern suspended Fitzgerald for two weeks without pay. The whistleblower then went public with his allegations in the Daily Northwestern campus newspaper, and Northwestern president Michael Schill fired Fitzgerald two days later.
Fitzgerald in October filed a $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Schill and the school. His case is set for trial in 2025. A total of 25 former players have filed lawsuits against Northwestern, alleging hazing and other mistreatment.
Fox’s lawsuit outlines many of the hazing allegations from previous filings, including “running” and other sexualized acts, many of which allegedly took place during the team’s preseason training camp in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He said he reported his experiences to six Northwestern staff members, including a therapist in 2018 who had him sign an agreement allowing her to share his allegations with the athletic training staff. Fox said that shortly after, Fitzgerald chastised him in a team meeting for complaining of unfair treatment. Fox said an athletic trainer also called him out.
The lawsuit also states another Northwestern psychologist, upon hearing of Fox’s hazing allegations, told him they weren’t real and stemmed from a diagnosis of bipolar disorder that Fox has never received. Fox said the psychologist prescribed him medication that led to him contemplating suicide.
According to the lawsuit, he did not report the allegations directly to the coaching staff because of fear of retaliation, and went to Hickey upon learning of the hazing investigation into Northwestern football.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000. Northwestern is not commenting on pending litigation against the school.
“It is abundantly clear to us that numerous staff members knew about the violent sexual hazing and emotional abuse that was occurring under Northwestern’s watch,” attorney Margaret Battersby Black, whose firm is representing several plaintiffs, said in a statement. “Employees were told about the abusive hazing by some of the players including Nathan Fox, who brought the abuse to their attention years before the Maggie Hickey investigation. Instead of doing the right thing and reporting the abuse or taking steps to stop it, those who knew either ignored it or retaliated against those who came forward.”
More lawsuits from former players are expected to be filed against Northwestern in the coming days.
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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