Northwestern hazing allegations: First female athlete to file lawsuit

EVANSTON, Ill. - More lawsuits against Northwestern University are coming amid a hazing scandal that continues to grow.

A former quarterback is speaking out about his humiliating experiences, while a former volleyball player will become the first female athlete to file suit.

"To all the young athletes out there, I urge you to stand up for yourself even when the odds are against you," said former Northwestern quarterback Lloyd Yates, who has now filed the fourth hazing lawsuit involving the football team.

At a news conference with his attorney Ben Crump on Monday, Yates said he was forced to perform physical drills naked and was assaulted by upperclassmen simulating sex acts. Those allegations are outlined in the lawsuit filed Monday against Northwestern, which recently fired head football coach Pat Fitzgerald.

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"I want justice for all the victims of this horrific hazing," Yates said.

The lawsuit quotes other players on the extent of the abuse and alleges two assistant coaches were also hazed in a ritual known as "running."

A "run" consisted of players forcibly holding down a teammate and rubbing their genital areas against the teammate’s genitals, face and buttocks while rocking back and forth without consent from the teammate, the lawsuit states.

Crump added that they plan to file many more suits on behalf of Northwestern athletes going forward.

"Our lawsuit today is the first in a series of lawsuits," Crump said. "We plan on filing over 30 individual lawsuits within the next coming weeks."

The lawsuit describes examples of the homoerotic and violent nature of the sexual hazing in the Northwestern football program. The alleged ritualized hazing had colorful names including "Carwash," "Kenosha Rap Battle" "Belly Flop Contest," "Runsgiving/Runsmas," "Shrek Squad," "Trading Block," The Dredge," and "Bus 2 Stories."

MORE: Former Northwestern football players describe 'rampant' and 'devastating' hazing

Also on Monday, it was announced a former volleyball player identified only as "Jane Doe" would become the first female athlete to file a hazing lawsuit against Northwestern.

"In the case of Jane Doe, retaliation, where she was essentially ostracized, isolated from the team," said her attorney, Patrick Salvi II. "And treated poorly by the coach where he would barely look at her or communicate with her."

Northwestern President Michael Schill, who has yet to speak publicly about the scandal, issued a letter Monday seemingly criticizing the news coverage, saying, "The picture painted by some of these commentators of our program, our student-athletes, and the University itself is entirely inconsistent with the Northwestern we all know and love."

Schill also acknowledged what he called "shameful events."

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Marc Ganis, a consultant to professional and college sports organizations, wasn't impressed.

"If I were grading Northwestern University for how they've handled it so far, you're looking at a D-minus," Ganis said.

Ganis believes the scandal may discourage alumni and donors, and could impact plans for a new Northwestern football stadium.

"The Board of Trustees needs to take a very hard look at whether the President and the Athletic Director are the right people for the job at this time."

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.