I agree with @momofboiler1 that it’s questionable judgement but I don’t see how he would fail a background check - and of course, it depends what they check.
I also think it’s questionable judgment by himself, knowing this would bring scrutiny.
I figured he’d wait a year and become an offensive analyst somewhere or an NFL assistant - after more facts come out, if they’re dismissive of the charges against him.
I thought background checks typically look to see if the person is a party to any lawsuits?
It’s true that being a defendant in at least five student lawsuits doesn’t mean Fitzgerald is guilty, but I agree still a bad look/poor judgment.
I don’t think he coaches in the NFL or NCAA until these lawsuits are resolved.
I can’t speak to that but I think there are different levels - some check employment, credit, perhaps lawsuits, etc.
The other interesting thing to me is his Freshman in college son is a part of the NU football team - whether as a tight end or sounds like student assistant.
The article simply says related to his hiring:
Fitzgerald, who coached Northwestern from 2006 until his firing July 10, went through multiple trainings and a background check and signed a code of conduct, required for all of Loyola’s coaches and volunteers.
Sounds like he’s not practicing, which is odd because he was earlier. And taking summer classes, as all the football players do.
Those are civil suits, so no guilty/not guilty decision involved. He’s not facing any charges.
There is little detail in this article (gifted below), but Boston College has suspended its swimming and diving teams indefinitely due to hazing.
I’m glad BC (seemingly) acted quickly but how sad for the student athletes who were victims of the hazing and now won’t be allowed to compete in their sport. Hopefully they can quickly sort through the bad apples and get the other students back in the pool.
I’m also curious what the nature of the hazing is. I have many friends whose kids swim at all levels, and I hear things like the HS freshmen swimmers have to wash and fold towels for the upperclassmen/women and load their swim bags on the buses for meets or that they have to set up and take down the lanes in the pool. The parents don’t seem upset by it but by today’s standards, these things are probably considered hazing. I haven’t heard any negative reports from my friends with student athletes at college level (various sports, not just swimming). Hopefully they aren’t experiencing anything like this.
A feeling I have, based on nothing but my own gut and the severity of BC’s response, is that the hazing was probably more life endangering than folding towels and loading bags.
life endangering or dignity endangering. Nobody will die from being made to parade naked in the locker room while serving teammates lunch. But it signals a lack of respect which will likely get worse, not better, over time.
Watching the BC situation with interest. There have been rumors for a number of years that both M/W swimming have been on the chopping block there.
It’s interesting to me that it’s both sports.
I don’t think the Northwestern situation will stop others who are doing it and seemingly getting away.
That this is happening at our nation’s premier schools is kind of crazy too.
Why again is it important that American academic institutions also act as sports leagues? Why again does our society equate athletic ability with leadership and character?
Even this is gross. What purpose does it serve? My swim team had none of this, and yet we still managed to produce All Americans. As an upperclass swimmer, I never would have wanted for my first year teammates to be told to fold my towels or tote my bags. And all of us together cleared the lane lines; it was a time to relax and chat.
Below is an article from BC’s student newspaper:
It appears that BC Athletics determined that there was hazing, and thus suspended its teams, but that the university’s Dean of Students hasn’t done its own investigation to look at individual students. BC’s definition of hazing is quoted below, from the article.
BC bans any form of hazing, according to the Office of the Dean of Students.
“Hazing activities are generally considered to be physically abusive, hazardous, and/or sexually violating,” the office’s policy reads. “The specific behaviors or activities within these categories vary widely among participants, groups, and settings.”
Why do groups feel as though they need to degrade and hurt others who want to join? Why do people want to be around others who are trying to humiliate or harm them? This goes far beyond college sports…it seems to occur in some sports teams regardless of any school affiliations, it’s prevalent in many fraternities (and perhaps sororities?), it happens in the military, and there’s a good chance it happens in other areas that I’m not aware of.
Frankly, at best most hazing is mean, and often it’s cruel or barbaric. I have no respect for people who haze others, and my heart hurts thinking about how desperate someone is to feel a part of something that they are willing to bear being hazed. For athletes and military members it’s particularly terrible, because they want to perform an activity (and not just be in a social organization), and the desire to do the activity has to war with this terrible treatment. These situations just make me feel ill.
I wonder about mentally or emotionally abusive?
My D’s sorority got in trouble with their national for the girls wearing costumes one night, at a sorority event, related to whatever their family tree theme was. There were no offensive or suggestive costumes - my daughter wore cat ears, whiskers and a tail (over black leggings and a black turtleneck) for her family tree, which was cat-themed. Someone outside their sorority who saw them on campus in costume, reported it and a rep from their national flew in to interview all the members to determine whether they felt pressured to wear the costumes. My D thought it was ridiculous. They ended up getting suspended from social events for the semester.
Good questions! As far as athletics, I don’t always think the newbies anticipate that there will be hazing on any level (maybe because there are coaches, which one would presume to be a gatekeeper on that type of thing)?
Sororities nowadays are pretty tough on anti-hazing but I know the fraternities still do it quite a bit. Greek councils and colleges try to help by having anonymous reporting methods but everyone figures out who snitched. Many fraternities survive and flourish even after being “kicked out” of the university and rush and pledge on their own terms.
I had no idea what you meant by “family tree theme” so I looked it up. I had no idea such a thing as “family trees” existed in sororities and fraternities, and truthfully I can’t understand the appeal. Why do college students want to sign on to “Big Sisters” and “Mothers” and “Cousins” etc? What is the point? (I ask that sincerely, not trying to be snarky.)
Eventually we will hear - from kids who sue or a coach lawsuit for being fired or for kids who are pissed their athletic pursuits were halted.
Clearly it’s not about doing laundry - not a response like this.
I don’t know how people can act like this - I’m hopeful parents aren’t raising their kids to be this way.
Agreed, all will come out in time. I am not sure of the strength of the BC teams, but if there are any potential 2024 Olympic team members on those teams, that lawsuit could have legs.