Northwestern Fires Football Coach Amid Hazing Scandal

Clip: 7/11/2023 | 8m 43sVideo has Closed Captions

Hazing allegations include “sexualized acts of a degrading nature.”

Northwestern University fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald as new details continue to emerge about a hazing scandal that allegedly involved “sexualized acts of a degrading nature” and went on for years under his watch.

Aired 07/11/2023 | Rating NR

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OPPRESSION.

IT'S JUST BIZARRE.

YOU GO IN THE LOT, FOR ONE DAY, YOU WILL NEVER PLAY.

THE COACH CAN DO THAT INSTANTLY IF YOU WANT TO.

>> AGAIN, THE INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND NO PROOF.

DO YOU FIND THAT THERE IS PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY, >> I AM AN EXPERT WITNESS IN MANY HAZING CASES.

THEY ACTUALLY ADMIT THAT THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

IT APPEARS THAT THE COACH DID IDENTIFY WHICH STUDENTS SHOULD BE DISCIPLINED AND INDICATED WHO SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SECONDARY EVENTS OCCUR , AS WELL AS WHAT KIND OF THINGS SHOULD BE GOING ON.

THERE'S A LINE BETWEEN HIS BEHAVIOR AND THE HAZING THAT APPEARS TO BE GOING ON.

THE OFFICIAL REPORT CAME OUT .

>> AND THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT ALLEGATIONS , WE HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH.

OBVIOUSLY , THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STATEMENTS MADE, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE, GOING FORWARD?

>> YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS SITTING DOWN.

I'M NOT SURE , SO THERE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON RIGHT NOW , MAYBE OTHER STORIES WILL COME OUT, I DON'T KNOW.

FRANKLY, IT'S JUST BEGINNING.

>> DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR ARE THEY HOLDING THEMSELVES TO A HIGHER STANDARD OR DO WE SEE MORE WITH OTHER BIG PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY?

>> IT WAS A HUGE UNCOVERING OF BREAKING THE CODE OF SILENCE.

YOU KNOW, WITH HAZING AT THAT LEVEL.

I THINK REGARDLESS OF WHAT LEVEL OF COLLEGE IT IS, HAZING HAS DEFINITELY BECOME INTEGRATED INTO OUR CULTURE.

>> AND WHAT YOU THINK THAT UNIVERSITIES CAN BE DOING?

>> WELL, I AGREE WITH RICK THAT THE POWER IS IN THE HANDS OF THE COACH.

IT'S NOT JUST THE COACH, BUT IT IS THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF , ALL WORKING AND HELPING THE ATHLETES .

EVERYBODY REALLY KNOWS ABOUT IT , IT EVEN TO THE CLEANING STAFF, THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO HOW COME PEOPLE ARE NOT REPORTING?

HOW COME SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO BREAK THE CODE OF SILENCE?

YOU KNOW, THE VICTIMS WHO HAVE COME FORWARD ARE EXTREMELY BRAVE.

WE SEE THAT, WITH EX-WORKERS WHO HAVE COME FORWARD AND SAID YEAH, WE KNEW ABOUT THAT, WE KNEW ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO BREAK THE CODE OF SILENCE.

>> WE ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS, BUT GIVEN WHAT SUSAN SAYS , WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT BEING THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF?

>> IT IS SO UNFORTUNATE .

WHEN IN INITIATION GOES TOO FAR , THAT'S THE LINE YOU HAVE TO CUT