The hazing scandal at Northwestern University has widened to include a volleyball player who on Monday became the first female athlete to sue the university over allegations she was retaliated against for reporting mistreatment and a new lawsuit by former Northwestern quarterback Lloyd Yates, the AP reports. "This shows that it isn't just men," said Parker Stinar, one of her attorneys. "It isn't just football players." The private school in Evanston, Illinois, is facing multiple lawsuits, including the one on behalf of Yates, which alleges hazing by teammates that includes sexual abuse. The 52-page complaint also says coaches made racially charged comments to players of color.
"This is the first in a series of lawsuits," said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, adding he plans on filing more than 30 over the coming weeks involving athletes from "a variety of athletic programs and even mascots." He said it's "too early to tell" if the cases will be combined into a class-action lawsuit. "We're still trying to look at different legal aspects," he said. Speaking at a Monday news conference, Crump said Yates' case is the first with a named plaintiff and includes comments from other named players. Crump called this college sports' "Me Too" moment.
The volleyball player, identified in Monday's lawsuit as Jane Doe, says she was physically harmed to the point of requiring medical attention during a hazing incident in early 2021. According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe contracted COVID-19 in February of that year, despite following the team's COVID guidelines. Despite this, she says, Northwestern volleyball coach Shane Davis and an assistant coach informed her she would need to undergo a "punishment" for violating the guidelines. A day later, on March 2, 2021, the coaches permitted the volleyball team's captains to pick the punishment: She was forced to run "suicides" in the gym while diving to the floor each time she reached a line on the court. As she did this, the suit says, volleyball coaching staff, team members, and trainers watched. (For more from Yates' lawsuit, click here.)
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