Hazing lawsuits against Northwestern are settled

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald went from drawing NFL interest to signing a 10-year extension to being out of a job after allegations of hazing emerged in 2023.

Lawsuits were filed. Now, the lawsuits have been resolved.

According to Bloomberg News, via the Chicago Sun-Times, all claims for hazing and abusive behavior have been settled. Settlement documents are being finalized.

A Northwestern spokesperson told the Sun-Times that the agreement "will fully resolve the student plaintiffs’ claims’’ against the school and Fitzgerald.

The total number of plaintiffs was believed to be 25.

Fitzgerald started coaching at Northwestern in 2006. After leaving the school, Fitzgerald worked as a volunteer at his son's high school, Loyola Academy.

Outgoing Packers president Mark Murphy, who served as the Northwestern athletic director before taking the Green Bay job, was named as a defendant in at least two of the lawsuits.