Northwestern taps former AG Loretta Lynch to review athletics programs

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will lead a sweeping review of Northwestern University and its beleaguered athletics department, university leaders announced Tuesday amid the fallout of a football hazing scandal that expanded to allegations of abuse and bullying on other teams and prompted multiple lawsuits.

A Northwestern news release says Lynch’s review will look at the culture of the athletics department as well as the university’s ability “to detect, report and respond to potential misconduct in its athletics programs, including hazing, bullying and discrimination of any kind.”

Lynch, who served as attorney general from 2015 to 2017 and is now in private practice, will provide regular updates to Northwestern President Michael Schill and the board of trustees’ audit and risk committee. The results of her review are expected to be made public, the release stated.

[ Fallout at Northwestern: What to know about the football hazing scandal, firing of Pat Fitzgerald — and what’s next for the university ]

“I am determined that with the help of Attorney General Lynch, we will become a leader in combating the practice of hazing in intercollegiate athletics and a model for other universities,” Schill said in the release. “We will provide all of our students with the resources and support they need and do whatever is necessary to protect their safety and ensure that our athletics program remains one we can all be proud of.”

Northwestern’s hazing scandal first surfaced in early July, when the university released a summary of an outside investigation into allegations on the football team. At the time, Schill suspended head coach Pat Fitzgerald for two weeks. Three days later, after a bombshell story in The Daily Northwestern detailed a former player’s account of hazing, Schill removed Fitzgerald as head coach.

Fitzgerald went on to hire former U.S. attorney Dan Webb, who previously told the Tribune that they were exploring a potential breach-of-contract claim against the university.

Since then, at least a half-dozen lawsuits have been filed against the university in the last two weeks, each accusing members of the football team of forcing teammates to perform nude and sexualized hazing rituals. Another pending lawsuit accuses head women’s volleyball coach Shane Davis of singling out a player for punishment.

[ More coverage: Harsh drills at Northwestern raise question of when sports practice crosses the line into abuse ]

Meanwhile, head baseball coach Jim Foster was dismissed amid accusations of bullying and abusive behavior on his part.

In an emailed statement, national civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago-based law firm Levin & Perconti — who combined represent four former football players in their lawsuits — said Lynch’s hiring raises questions.

“Can we assume this means the university believes the first investigation which led to the firing of former Wildcats head football coach Pat Fitzgerald was flawed, or not thorough enough?” they asked. “And if the university is dedicated to transparency as they say, then why are the findings of the first investigation yet to be made public?”

The university said it has already taken steps to eradicate hazing on its sports teams. Monitors have been assigned to the football locker room; all members of sports teams — including coaches and staff — are expected to take part in anti-hazing training beginning with the start of football training camp Thursday; and an online tool is in the works that will allow for reporting complaints of hazing, bullying or other misconduct.

“The Athletics Department welcomes this review as a critical tool in identifying the additional steps Northwestern can take to eradicate hazing,” athletic director Derrick Gragg said in the release. “By making the results of her review public, we hope our entire community will be better informed and guided as we all work to address this critical issue in college athletics.”

Lynch previously worked as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York until she was picked by President Barack Obama as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, making her the first Black woman to hold the office. This is not the first time an organization has turned to Lynch for an independent review. In 2020, she was hired to lead a review of Syracuse University’s public safety department after students there protested racially biased incidents. She also led a review of the global investment firm BlackRock Inc. following employee complaints of racial and sexual harassment, Reuters reported.

The scope of Lynch’s Northwestern review appears to somewhat align with faculty demands made in the wake of the hazing scandal. Last month, more than 250 faculty members signed a letter to university administrators in which they called for greater transparency and accountability in the athletic department, as well as a pause in planning and marketing of the proposed $800 million Ryan Field rebuild, until “this crisis is satisfactorily resolved.”

”We share an interest in ensuring the future success of (Northwestern University) athletics, and in stellar facilities where our students can compete on the highest level,” the letter stated. “But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse — and high-level efforts to minimize those problems — suggest that we need to get the existing house in order before expanding it.”

Originally Published: Aug 01, 2023 at 12:41 pm