Benefit Of Doubt Might Be Given To Coach Pat Fitzgerald Post Unwarranted Termination Based On No Credible Information

Pat Fitzgerald, the head football coach at Northwestern, was let go on Monday after numerous former players disclosed information about hazing within the football program and days after an outside inquiry found that hazing was “widespread among football players.” Fitzgerald’s dismissal was revealed by university president Michael Schill in an online letter to the Northwestern community.

Benefit Of Doubt Might Be Given To Coach Pat Fitzgerald Post Unwarranted Termination Based On No Credible Information

Although there were “significant opportunities” to learn about the continuous hazing, the school said that the inquiry, which was started in January and was carried out by an outside law firm, did not uncover “sufficient” evidence that the coaching staff were aware of it.

The “investigation team determined that the complainant’s claims were in large part supported by the evidence gathered during the investigation, including separate and consistent first-person accounts from current and former players,” according to an executive summary made public on Friday.

The National College Players Association, which assisted the football players at Northwestern in their attempt to organize, is urging more inquiries into the claims of hazing and racism.

Fitzgerald was fired from his position after being first suspended for two weeks as the backlash against the administration grew. But many are now hesitating about that choice.

In a statement to ESPN, Fitzgerald claimed he was “surprised when I learned that the president of Northwestern unilaterally revoked our agreement without any prior notification and subsequently terminated my employment,” in reference to the agreed-upon two-week suspension.

This is mostly due to the investigation’s conclusions, which claim that Fitzgerald’s knowledge of the hazing allegations was never established.

Fitzgerald said in his statement by saying that he has trusted his trial lawyer Dan Webb and his agent Bryan Harlan “to take the necessary steps to protect my rights in accordance with the law.”

 

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