Settlement Reached Between Northwestern University and Pat Fitzgerald

CHICAGO — Northwestern University has come to a settlement with its former football coach, Pat Fitzgerald, two years after he filed a lawsuit against the university amid a hazing scandal involving the team, as announced by legal representatives and the school.

Fitzgerald noted, “I didn’t have a legal reason at Northwestern to terminate my position based on the employment agreement, but we’ve agreed to settle this to relieve my family from the stress caused by the ongoing legal dispute.”

Details regarding the settlement remain undisclosed.

The private institution, located in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, is grappling with the fallout from a scandal that disrupted its athletic department. A former football player initiated his lawsuit in 2023, alleging experiences of sexual abuse and racism within the team, with similar claims emerging across multiple sports.

Initially, Fitzgerald faced suspension before being dismissed following an investigation. The university concluded that it bore responsibility for the hazing incidents and should have intervened.

Fitzgerald rejected any claims of misconduct and sued for $130 million, asserting that his termination was illegal and detrimental to his reputation. His trial was set to commence in November.

Last year, a judge combined his case with those from students for the discovery phase. Numerous students provided testimonies relevant to both lawsuits. Earlier this year, the school settled with a different former soccer player who had sued.

On Thursday, Fitzgerald expressed that the hastiness of judgments stemming from the lawsuit caused immense stress and embarrassment for his family.

He stated, “I’ve been involved in a range of factual discoveries that support my stance. I had no awareness of the hazing within the Northwestern Football Program, nor have I ever encouraged such behavior in any capacity.”

In a statement released on the same day, Northwestern echoed Fitzgerald’s sentiment.

They emphasized, “The evidence from the extensive discoveries did not demonstrate that players reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald, nor did it show that he accepted or oversaw any hazing practices.” They added that he expressed significant disappointment regarding the negative effects these actions had on players in the program.

In July 2023, Northwestern appointed former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate the culture within its athletics department. Progress has been reported since then, including the implementation of anti-hazing training for athletes and improved measures for reporting incidents of hazing.