Northwestern University is being sued for $130 million by fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald, who claims his alma mater wrongfully terminated his contract following a hazing scandal within the athletic department.
The announcement from Chicago-based attorneys Dan K. Webb and Matthew R. Carter on Thursday comes nearly three months after Fitzgerald was disbarred and then fired after 17 years. Attorney Webb said Fitzgerald would also seek additional money for “infliction of emotional distress,” future loss of earnings and damages.
The $130 million includes $68 million in salary owed plus $62 million in future lost earnings, Webb added. The lawsuit will be filed in Cook County Circuit Court against the university and its President Michael Schill, he said.
“If there was ever a coach at Northwestern University who should not have been fired, it’s Coach Fitzgerald,” Webb said.
By comparison, Northwestern Football generated $43 million in 2021 — a reported 76 percent of the school’s men’s sports revenue.
Northwestern is being sued for $130 million by ex-football coach Pat Fitzgerald (photo)
Fitzgerald, 48, was suspended for two weeks on July 7 following an investigation by attorney Maggie Hickey of law firm ArentFox Schiff. That investigation did not find “sufficient” evidence that the coaching staff was aware of the ongoing hazing, but concluded that there were “significant opportunities” to learn more about it.
Three days later, following the publication in the student newspaper Daily Northwestern of stories alleging both hazing and racism in the football program, the school changed its position and fired Fitzgerald. President Schill said at the time that the hazing was “widespread” and was not a secret within the program.
“As head coach of the football program, Patrick Fitzgerald was responsible for the execution of the program for 17 years. He had a responsibility to know that hazing was taking place and to stop it. He failed to do so,” according to a statement released Thursday by Northwestern University.
Wildcats athletic director Derrick Gragg fired Fitzgerald in August
Multiple current and former football student-athletes acknowledged that hazing occurred in the football program during the six-month independent investigation into the matter, the university statement said, adding that “student-athletes over a series of years confirmed and further demonstrated these findings then doubt whether the hazing – which included nudity and sexualized acts – took place under Fitzgerald’s watch.”
“The safety of our students remains our top priority, and we deeply regret that student-athletes have experienced hazing. “We remain confident that the university acted appropriately in terminating Fitzgerald and we will vigorously defend our position in court,” the statement said.
Northwestern is facing more than a dozen lawsuits across multiple sports with allegations including sexual abuse of players by teammates, as well as racist comments from coaches and racist attacks. Baseball coach Jim Foster was fired on July 13 amid allegations of a toxic culture, including bullying and abusive behavior.
Fitzgerald’s dismissal capped a rapid fall from grace for someone who seemed entrenched at his alma mater. He was an All-American linebacker, a star on the 1995 team that won the Big Ten and reached the Rose Bowl after decades of losing at Northwestern.
Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to a 110-101 record and – by a wide margin – more wins than any other coach. Northwestern won Big Ten West championships in 2018 and 2020, plus five bowl games. But the team went 4-20 the past two seasons.
Defensive coordinator David Braun was elevated to interim coach six months after joining Fitzgerald’s staff.
Northwestern coaches were seen wearing t-shirts in support of fired coach Pat Fitzgerald
Just over two months ago, Northwestern hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead an investigation into the athletics department’s culture and anti-hazing practices. The university did not announce a timetable for the study, but said the results will be made public, unlike those of the previous study.
The lawsuits filed since then allege hazing among male and female athletes in multiple sports, including sexual abuse by teammates and racist comments by coaches against players of color. Several former players have come forward describing cases of forced nudity and sexual abuse between 2005 and 2022.
In August, assistant football coaches and staff members wore black shirts with “Cats Against the World” and Fitzgerald’s old number “51” in purple letters during practices that athletic director Derrick Gragg said were “inappropriate, offensive and tone-deaf.”
About a week later, about 1,000 former Northwestern athletes sent a letter condemning the hazing while defending the school’s culture. They said allegations of abuse within the football program and other men’s and women’s teams do not reflect their experiences.
The unrest came as the school tried to get approval to build a new Ryan Field. The plans call for a state-of-the-art facility with reduced seating capacity and an increased emphasis on the fan experience.