A former Northwestern volleyball participant filed a lawsuit towards the varsity, the athletic division and coach Shane Davis, amongst others, on Monday after an alleged hazing incident that occurred throughout the program in 2021, according to ESPN’s Dan Murphy.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a hazing scandal throughout the Northwestern soccer program this summer time, which led to the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald. Baseball coach Jim Foster was also fired after he reportedly engaged in “bullying and abusive habits.”
The volleyball participant in query, who filed her lawsuit anonymously, stated she was injured after operating sprints that had been a part of a “punishment” from Davis. The participant stated that Davis “enabled a tradition of racism, bullying, harassment, hazing and retaliation” throughout the program.
The participant, who performed for the Wildcats from 2019-2022, stated she contracted COVID-19 in February 2021. Coaches, she stated, then punished her for breaking the crew’s COVID-19 security tips, one thing she stated she didn’t do. The subsequent month, Davis allegedly informed crew captains to choose a “punishment” for the participant, which led to her operating sprints whereas the crew watched and finally her harm.
The participant stated she was remoted after the incident, and that Davis “refused to correctly coach her” from then on. The day after the incident, per the lawsuit, Northwestern opened an investigation into this system.
Northwestern spokesman Jon Yates informed ESPN that the college “confirmed the hazing had taken place,” and that “acceptable disciplinary motion was taken.” The participant stated the ultimate investigation report was not shared together with her, and that no person throughout the program was punished in anyway. The college stated it canceled two video games because of this and carried out anti-hazing coaching. A weekend sequence that spring was canceled attributable to COVID-19 protocols, and one other was postponed.
The participant, who stated she met with athletic director Derrick Gragg concerning the difficulty personally, medically retired from the game final December.
“Jane Doe’s grievance outlines the institutional failures at Northwestern past the volleyball and soccer packages, shedding mild of a corrupt athletic division,” certainly one of her attorneys, Parker Stinar, informed ESPN.
Davis will enter his eighth season with the Wildcats this yr. They went 18-14 final season.
Fitzgerald was fired earlier this month after 17 seasons with the crew after allegations of hazing throughout the program surfaced. At the very least two former Northwestern football players have since sued the school, certainly one of whom claimed to have been subjected to “sexualized hazing and bodily abuse.” The school has launched two reviews of the athletic department.
