Sports
Historical Northwestern volleyball participant sues college after alleged hazing incident
A old Northwestern volleyball participant filed a lawsuit against the college, the athletic division and coach Shane Davis, amongst others, on Monday after an alleged hazing incident that took place within the program in 2021, in accordance to ESPN’s Dan Murphy.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a hazing scandal within the Northwestern soccer program this summer season, which led to the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald. Baseball coach Jim Foster changed into once furthermore fired after he reportedly engaged in “bullying and abusive habits.”
The volleyball participant in query, who filed her lawsuit anonymously, mentioned she changed into once injured after working sprints that were phase of a “punishment” from Davis. The participant mentioned that Davis “enabled a culture of racism, bullying, harassment, hazing and retaliation” within the program.
The participant, who executed for the Wildcats from 2019-2022, mentioned she diminished in dimension COVID-19 in February 2021. Coaches, she mentioned, then punished her for breaking the team’s COVID-19 security pointers, something she mentioned she didn’t operate. The next month, Davis allegedly told team captains to make a choice a “punishment” for the participant, which led to her working sprints while the team watched and at final her hurt.
The participant mentioned she changed into once isolated after the incident, and that Davis “refused to properly coach her” from then on. The day after the incident, per the lawsuit, Northwestern opened an investigation into the program.
Northwestern spokesman Jon Yates told ESPN that the college “confirmed the hazing had taken place,” and that “acceptable disciplinary action changed into once taken.” The participant mentioned the final investigation document changed into once no longer shared with her, and that no-one within the program changed into once punished in anyway. The college mentioned it canceled two games as a consequence and applied anti-hazing coaching. A weekend sequence that spring changed into once canceled as a result of COVID-19 protocols, and but one more changed into once postponed.
The participant, who mentioned she met with athletic director Derrick Gragg about the problem in my belief, medically retired from the sport final December.
“Jane Doe’s complaint outlines the institutional mess ups at Northwestern beyond the volleyball and soccer programs, shedding light of a immoral athletic division,” one of her legal professionals, Parker Stinar, told ESPN.
Davis will enter his eighth season with the Wildcats this year. They went 18-14 final season.
Fitzgerald changed into once fired earlier this month after 17 seasons with the team after allegations of hazing within the program surfaced. No decrease than two old Northwestern soccer players like since sued the college, one of whom claimed to were subjected to “sexualized hazing and physical abuse.” The college has launched two critiques of the athletic division.