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Northwestern faculty members reportedly ask for release of report, halt of Ryan Field project
By Keith Farner
Published:
Northwestern faculty members are asking for more sunshine to be on a report of hazing within the football program, which ultimately led to Pat Fitzgerald being fired.
Six faculty members are asking university leaders for the hazing investigation report to be revealed publicly, according to a report from Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. They also want the $800 million Ryan Field rebuild project put on hold “until this crisis is satisfactorily resolved.”
“The findings … should be made public to the fullest extent permitted by law, contingent on the consent of the victims. It is essential to learn what was known by NU coaches, staff and administrators, and when, and what steps were taken or not taken to address hazing.”
The university president previously explained the decision to move on from Fitzgerald.
“The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team,” Northwestern President Michael Schill wrote in an open letter to the university community. “The hazing we investigated was widespread and clearly not a secret within the program, providing Coach Fitzgerald with the opportunity to learn what was happening. Either way, the culture in Northwestern Football, while incredible in some ways, was broken in others.”
Keith Farner has written about college football for newspapers and web sites since 2005.