Three new lawsuits filed by former players against Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald
EVANSTON, Ill. — Three more former Northwestern University football players have filed lawsuits against the university and former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald, according to the legal representation of the three plaintiffs who filed the complaints.
Nathan Fox, who played linebacker for the Wildcats from 2015-19, John Doe 10, who attended Northwestern from 2019-23, and John Doe 22, who attended Northwestern from 2020-23, are the three new plaintiffs who filed complaints in Cook County Circuit Court this week.
Two of the complaints allege the players took proactive steps to alert Northwestern employees to the hazing and emotional abuse taking place in the football program.
A spokesperson provided details of the new allegations from the law offices of Margaret Batterbsy Black of Levin & Perconti, representing the new plaintiffs.
Details include Fox alleging he told at least six Northwestern employees about the hazing and emotional abuse years prior to the investigation that was launched in December 2022 by Maggie Hickey, the former Executive Inspector General of Illinois turned independent white-collar crime investigator.
Fox also alleges a Northwestern mental health therapist urged him to waive his confidentiality right and allow her to share his information with the coaches so it might “smooth things over,” which Fox agreed to.
Fox’s complaint then alleges Fitzgerald later addressed him during a meeting in front of his teammates and accused him of “b******g and moaning to my therapists about not playing and having unfair treatment.”
The complaint goes on to allege another Northwestern mental health therapist told Fox his complaints were not “real,” but were actually due to him having Depressive Bipolar Disorder. No other medical professional has diagnosed Fox with that disorder before or since, the complaint alleges, but that therapist prescribed Fox medication that had serious side effects, like mental fogginess, memory loss, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, sleep paralysis and suicidal thoughts, according to the complaint.
While taking the medication, the complaint alleges, Fox contemplated suicide but decided instead to get rid of the medication rather than harming himself.
“It is abundantly clear to us that numerous staff members knew about the violent sexual hazing and emotional abuse that was occurring under Northwestern’s watch,” Batterbsy Black said in a statement. “Employees were told about the abusive hazing by some of the players, including Nathan Fox, who brought the abuse to their attention years before the Maggie Hickey investigation.
“Instead of doing the right thing and reporting the abuse or taking steps to stop it, those who knew either ignored it or retaliated against those who came forward.”
The spokesperson for the plaintiffs’ lawyers also said Fox and John Doe 22 both spoke with Hickey when she conducted her investigation into hazing at Northwestern. The spokesperson also said John Doe 22 reported the conduct on two occasions, but Northwestern only took action after he emailed a compliance employee in the athletic department alerting that employee to the hazing.
Lawyers representing Fox, John Doe 10 and John Doe 22 said they expect additional new lawsuits to be filed next week, after which a media availability will be held. The number of former Northwestern football players who have filed lawsuits is now at 25.
Legal counsel for Pat Fitzgerald has yet to return a request from WGN News for comment on the three new lawsuits filed this week.
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