July 10, 2023

Dear President Schill, Dr. Gragg, and Mr. Barris,

We are a group of six tenured faculty members who are concerned about the culture of
athletics at Northwestern. In 2021, we drew attention to abuses on the Northwestern
cheer squad and to the misguided selection of Mike Polisky as Athletic Director after he
was implicated in Northwestern’s failure to adequately respond to the cheerleaders’
allegations.

We are dismayed to find Northwestern Athletics embroiled in another major scandal that
involves allegations of sexual abuse and harassment as well as negligence or
indifference among administrators and coaches. We call on Northwestern leadership to
take immediate, comprehensive steps to remedy the current situation and to protect all
student athletes from future abuse.

The first step is transparency. The findings of the investigator 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 on the football team. The
broader community of NU students, staff, alumni, faculty, and donors deserves to know
what occurred, in part so that we can ensure it never happens again.

Next, we call on the administration to provide all necessary support to the students who
experienced hazing and trauma. They should be reassured that they will not face
retaliation from the administration or their peers, and they should be guaranteed full
access to any mental health support they require. We applaud the courage of the
athletes and staff members who have come forward, and we salute NU student
journalists for their work bringing the details of the allegations to light. We also call on
the administration to encourage the perpetrators and enablers of the abuse to
acknowledge what they saw and did, and to apologize.

Looking ahead, we strongly urge university leadership to protect student athletes by

ensuring that the Athletics Department abides by Northwestern’s principles of moral
integrity, honesty, and responsibility. The Department is staffed by professionals who
care about athletes’ well-being, but the potential for abuse is also immense. In 2021, it
was clear to us that many student athletes felt uncomfortable coming forward with
concerns about behaviors they witnessed or pressures they experienced, fearing
retaliation or ostracism. Putting a competent outside observer in the football locker room
will help mitigate the issue that brought us to this crisis. But we believe greater oversight
of the Athletic Department is needed, perhaps through the creation of a dedicated
ombudsperson or office and a widely publicized tip line.

Northwestern recently announced plans for an $800 million rebuild of Ryan Field. We
believe the university should halt that planning and marketing process until this crisis is
satisfactorily resolved. Over the past decade, Northwestern has made major and high-
profile investments in athletics. But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse – and
high-level efforts to minimize those problems – suggest that we need to get the existing
house in order before expanding it. We share an interest in ensuring the future success
of NU athletics, and in stellar facilities where our students can compete on the highest
level. But first, we must ensure that our Athletics Program enables all our students to
thrive.

Finally, we welcome more information about our football program’s leadership. After
heading our football program for seventeen years, Coach Fitzgerald is responsible for
the culture and behavior of his team. He must be held accountable. Unless the
university presents compelling evidence that Coach Fitzgerald proactively and
systematically worked to prevent abuse and investigate potential hazing throughout his
tenure - and hold the perpetrators and any knowing staff members accountable once he
learned of misbehavior - we have no confidence in his ability to protect our students and
represent the university’s values.

We were heartened by President Schill’s recent message to the NU community,

acknowledging that the sanctions against Coach Fitzgerald have been inadequate. We
trust that you share our concerns and that you and other members of Northwestern’s
leadership will take comprehensive action to right past wrongs and create a better future
for all our students.

Sincerely,

Caitlin Fitz, Associate Professor of History

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Professor of Political Science and Religious Studies
Kate Masur, Professor of History and Board of Visitors Professor
Susan Pearson, Professor of History
Amy Stanley, Wayne V. Jones II Research Professor of History
Jessica Winegar, Professor of Anthropology