The Northwestern football team spoke out following the Daily Northwestern's bombshell report on Saturday evening. In a note attributed to the "ENTIRE" Wildcat football team, the letter said head coach Pat Fitzgerald did not know about the alleged hazing rituals and gave full support to the 17-year head coach.
Fitzgerald's supposed lack of knowledge of the alleged incidents was mentioned in the law firm ArentFox Schiff's original report and, thus, was the basis for Northwestern's slap-on-the-wrist punishment of Fitzgerald.
However, late Saturday night, Northwestern president Michael Schill released his own statement. Reflecting on Fitzgerald's lack of knowledge of what went on within his locker room and showers, Schill said he rested too much on what Fitzgerald didn't know and didn't think enough on what the head coach should've known.
"The confidential report concluded that while there was corroborating evidence that hazing occurred, there was no direct evidence that Coach Fitzgerald was aware of the hazing. In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn't know and not enough on what he should have known," Schill said. "Coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but must also take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience and our priority to ensure all students -- undergraduate and graduate -- can thrive during their time at Northwestern. Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction."
Schill personally apologized to the player at the center of the allegations as well as his family. "I was moved by what I heard from his family and by the impact the hazing had on their son," Schill said.
In the next sentence, Schill promised to engage in further conversations with university leadership as to the school's next steps. "In the days ahead, I will engage with University leadership, including the Board of Trustees as well as leadership of the Faculty Senate, and will keep you abreast of any developments as I assess future steps."
Stay tuned.