We always hear about how people are accused of things like bullying but we never hear when they are falsely accused.

The media should be required to report both with the same fanfare or not be called "News".

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald sues school for $130 million over hazing scandal

Pat Fitzgerald, the former head coach of Northwestern University’s football team, is suing his alma mater for $130 million, claiming he was wrongfully terminated in the wake of a hazing and abuse scandal that rocked the athletic department.

Fitzgerald, who led the Wildcats for 17 years and was a two-time All-American linebacker at Northwestern in the 1990s, was fired in July after an independent investigation found that hazing had occurred in the program, but did not implicate him or his staff.

However, the university changed its stance after a former player came forward and told the Daily Northwestern, the student newspaper, that he had reported hazing to the school in November 2022. The player alleged that he and other freshmen were subjected to humiliating and sexualized acts by upperclassmen, such as being forced to strip naked, perform oral sex on bananas, and drink urine.

The university’s president, Michael Schill, said that Fitzgerald had failed to stop the hazing and that he had an obligation to live by the school’s values. Schill said that hazing was widespread and not a secret within the program.

Fitzgerald’s lawsuit, filed on Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, disputes the university’s findings and accuses it of breach of contract, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit seeks $130 million in damages, including $68 million in owed salary and $62 million in future lost income.

Fitzgerald’s attorneys, Dan K. Webb and Matthew R. Carter, said that Fitzgerald was unaware of any hazing and that he had a stellar reputation as a coach and a mentor. They said that Fitzgerald was a victim of a “rush to judgment” by the university and that he deserved to be reinstated or compensated.

“If there was ever a coach at Northwestern University who should have not been terminated, it’s Coach Fitzgerald,” Webb said.

The university issued a statement on Thursday defending its decision to fire Fitzgerald and saying that it would vigorously fight the lawsuit. The statement said that multiple current and former players confirmed that hazing took place on Fitzgerald’s watch and that it regretted that any student-athletes experienced hazing.

“The safety of our students remains our highest priority,” the statement said.

Fitzgerald’s lawsuit is one of many legal challenges facing Northwestern’s athletic department, which has been accused of various forms of misconduct across multiple sports. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed by former athletes alleging sexual abuse, racism, discrimination, and retaliation by coaches, staff, and teammates.

Fitzgerald was replaced by interim head coach David Braun, who was hired as defensive coordinator in January from North Dakota State. Braun has led the Wildcats to a 2-2 record so far this season.