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Pat Fitzgerald’s representation refutes ‘any significant hazing’ occurred in wrongful termination lawsuit

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Pat Fitzgerald has indeed filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Northwestern as of Thursday.

According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Fitzgerald is seeking in excess of $130 million for lost earnings and reputational and punitive damages. The lawsuit is filed against Northwestern and president Michael Schill.

Dan Webb, the filing attorney for Fitzgerald, alleges the head coach was fired without any new facts being presented. Webb also refutes that “any significant hazing occurred” under Fitzgerald’s watch and equated what occurred as “horseplay” in a locker room.

“The fact that he was terminated based on no rational reasons or facts whatsoever, the fact that they’ve gone out and destroyed his reputation as one of the best football coaches in America, based on no legitimate reason or evidence, is disgraceful,” said Webb, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois who now serves as co-executive chairman of the Winston & Strawn law firm. “It’s despicable conduct on behalf of Northwestern. My client and his family are entitled to their day in court for justice.”

…

“They’re going to say they didn’t see any significant hazing other than horseplay … between young men in the locker room,” Webb said of those he has interviewed.

The lawsuit also alleges Northwestern AD Derrick Gragg relayed that Schill felt the head coach needed to “take a hit” after the findings of the Hickey Report were published.

“Gragg also stated that Schill felt Fitzgerald needed to ‘take a hit’ for the findings summarized in the Hickey Report, even though the Hickey Report concluded that Fitzgerald and his staff did not know about any hazing activities within the Northwestern football program,” the lawsuit reads. “Gragg and Graham told Fitzgerald that if he agreed to this plan, wanted the two week suspension to coincide with Fitzgerald’s two-week vacation, so Fitzgerald could attend an important recruiting event on Northwestern’s behalf shortly after his suspension ended.”

We will see what becomes the latest lawsuit in the legal battle between Northwestern and Fitzgerald.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.