New filings bring lawsuit total to 25 filed against NU, 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.
New details, according to a spokesperson from the law offices of Margaret Batterbsy Black and Levin & Perconti, include Fox alleging he told at least six Northwestern employees about the hazing and emotional abuse years prior to Maggie Hickey’s investigation into the football team, only for a future Northwestern mental health therapist to tell Fox his complaints were not “real,” and were actually from him having Depressive Bipolar Disorder — A disorder no other medical professional had diagnosed him with before or since, among other claims.
“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,” Margaret Batterbsy Black and Levin & Perconti 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.”
Other allegations include Fox’s first 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 allow.
Fox’s complaint then alleged Fitzgerald addressed Fox 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.”
Another allegation from Fox’s complaint alleged the same Northwestern mental health therapist who diagnosed him with Depressive Bipolar Disorder — Who is not the first mental health therapist who brought his case to coaches — Also prescribed him medication for the disorder, leading to serious side effects like mental fogginess, memory loss, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, sleep paralysis, and suicidal thoughts, according to the complaint.
The spokesperson also said Fox and John Doe 22 both spoke with Hickey, the former Executive Inspector General of Illinois turned independent white-collar crime investigator, when she conducted her investigation into hazing at Northwestern.
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.
Legal counsel for Pat Fitzgerald has yet to return a request from WGN News for comment on the three new lawsuits filed this week.