A group of former Northwestern football players reportedly agreed to settle lawsuits against the school that alleged hazing and abusive behavior, according to Bloomberg News.
As part of the settlement, the former players agreed to drop all claims against both the university and former Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Details of the settlement were not made available.
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Dan Webb and Matthew Carter, Fitzgerald’s attorneys, released a statement Tuesday confirming the settlement. They emphasized evidence showed Fitzgerald “committed no wrongdoing,” and stated Fitzgerald was moving forward with his wrongful termination suit against the school.
Fitzgerald was suspended by the school in July 2023 after a former player reported hazing allegations in November 2022. Northwestern conducted an investigation at the time, and while the school did not find any evidence Fitzgerald or the coaching staff knew about the hazing incidents, it determined Fitzgerald had ample opportunities to “discover and report” the hazing conduct.
Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks. At the time, he released a statement claiming he did not know about the hazing incidents. Shortly after the suspension was announced, Northwestern football players released a letter defending Fitzgerald. School president Michael Schill also released a statement, saying he may have erred in giving Fitzgerald a suspension.
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Days later, more former Northwestern students came forward alleging racism within the football program. Hours after that report emerged, Schill fired Fitzgerald.
Pat Fitzgerald’s lawsuit against Northwestern continues
Months after being fired, Fitzgerald filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the university. Fitzgerald claimed he reached an oral agreement with Schill stating Fitzgerald would face no further punishment from the school other than the two-week suspension. Fitzgerald claimed Schill violated that agreement. Fitzgerald also pointed out that the university found no evidence he was aware of the hazing conduct within the football team. Fitzgerald was seeking $130 million as part of that lawsuit.
While the former players reached an agreement with Northwestern on Tuesday, Fitzgerald is still moving forward with his lawsuit against the school. Unless both sides can reach an agreement, Fitzgerald’s trial against Northwestern is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2025.
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