- Northwestern's VP for Athletics denounced football coaches wearing shirts honoring the an old coach.
- Derrick Gragg said the shirts worn at practice are "inappropriate, offensive, and tone deaf."
Northwestern VP for Athletics and Recreation Derrick Gragg denounced some football coaches and staffers who wore t-shirts that seemingly paid homage to the team's former head coach, Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired last month amid hazing allegations.
Student journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Inside NU Bradley Locker first reported Wednesday that "several" team coaches and staffers were wearing shirts that said "Cats Against the World" and featured the number 51 on them — Fitzgerald's jersey number when he played football at Northwestern in the 1990s.
"I am extremely disappointed that a few members of our football program staff decided to wear 'Cats Against the World' t-shirts," Gragg said in a statement posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
Gragg said that neither he nor the school were aware these shirts existed or that the staff would wear them to practice yesterday. He added, "The shirts are inappropriate, offensive, and tone deaf."
"Let me be crystal clear: hazing has no place at Northwestern, and we are committed to do whatever is necessary to address hazing-related issues, including thoroughly investigating any incidents or allegations of hazing or any other misconduct," Gragg said in the statement.
An independent investigation into the hazing allegations on Northwestern's football team — for which the school is currently facing a slew of lawsuits — found evidence of ongoing hazing that included "forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature," according to a July letter penned by university president Michael Schill.
According to the letter, although the hazing was "well-known by many in the program ... the investigator failed to find any credible evidence that Coach Fitzgerald himself knew about it."
Still, Schill said in the letter, "The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team," aiding in his decision to let Fitzgerald go.
Last week, Northwestern announced it had tapped former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead an independent review to "examine the culture of Northwestern Athletics to ensure it is consistent with the University's mission and values as a leading academic institution."