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Northwestern faculty protest new athletic director
Northwestern faculty members protested Friday after a new athletic director was named.
CHICAGO - Northwestern professors are taking a stand against the school's new athletic director.
Some faculty members say the new athletic director, Mike Polisky, shouldn't have this position, especially since he was named in a cheerleader's lawsuit against the school.
A cheerleader is suing, saying she was part of a group that was sexually harassed. She says Polisky ignored her initial complaints.
Polisky is being promoted after serving 10 years as Deputy Director of Athletics for External Affairs.
The move has gotten a lot of criticism from faculty and alumni.
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Controversy over Northwestern's new athletic director
Faculty members protest the hiring of the new athletic director, who was named in a lawsuit by a Northwestern cheerleader.
Six women faculty members sent an open letter this week to Provost Kathleen Hagerty demanding greater transparency.
Polisky remains under investigation for his handling of sexual harassment claims, including a cheerleader who says she and her teammates were sexually exploited at university-sanctioned events.
"There are allegations in the lawsuit that, yes, he was aware of what was going on, and given that he was relatively senior in the athletic department during the time that this was all going on, it would be normal and expected and even perhaps a legal obligation for him to report what he learned about and what he knew about," said Northwestern professor, Beth Hurd.
Female staff members are asking for an independent investigation into Polisky's knowledge of the alleged mistreatment of female athletes before he's officially hired.
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