Former Northwestern football player alleges hazing, racism, abuse

(NewsNation) — A former Northwestern University football player on Wednesday recounted the hazing, sexual and physical abuse and racial discrimination he said he experienced between 2005 and 2008.

Ramon Diaz, who joined the team nearly 20 years ago as an offensive lineman, said the football program enabled a culture of racial discrimination. According to Diaz, players shaved the words “Cinco de Mayo” into the back of his head while the team watched. Additionally, while he was still a minor, he was forced to participate in a hazing tradition called “the carwash.” The act entailed players lining up naked, covered in soap, spinning around at the entrance of the showers. Freshman players were forced to rub up against the line of men to get to their showers, Diaz said.

“No one stopped it,” Diaz said. “I think that’s worth repeating again and again. No one did anything.”

The private school in Evanston, Illinois, faces multiple lawsuits, including one on behalf of Northwestern quarterback Lloyd 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.

The Illinois law firm of Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard, and co-counsel The Stinar Law Firm, said Wednesday they also have plans to file a lawsuit against Northwestern and others affiliated with the university and its athletic department on behalf of Diaz.

The lawyers allege that Northwestern, its board of trustees, former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and former athletic director and current ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, were all in a position to address the the hazing and abuse but did not.

“Had he known the true culture of the football program, Ramon would not have committed to play for Northwestern,” one of Diaz’s attorneys Patrick A. Salvi II said in an official statement. “Once he was at school, he was unfortunately under immense social and financial pressure to remain on scholarship at Northwestern.”

Attorneys also claim Diaz was injured during practice and was told he could return despite his ankle being broken in three places.

“Instead of focusing on players’ physical and emotional wellbeing, the Defendants brushed harmful acts aside as ‘team bonding,’” attorney Parker Stinar said.

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will lead an independent investigation of Northwestern University’s processes and accountability mechanisms in response to allegations of misconduct in the school’s athletic programs, the university announced Monday.

In an effort to ensure the athletic department is consistent with the school’s mission and values, the university hired Lynch to detect, report and respond to any potential misconduct in the program, including hazing, bullying and discrimination of any kind.

“Hazing has absolutely no place at Northwestern. Period,” Northwestern President Michael Schill has said. “I am determined that with the help of Attorney General Lynch, we will become a leader in combating the practice of hazing in intercollegiate athletics and a model for other universities.”

The school has promised to provide all of its students with the resources and support they need to do whatever is necessary to protect and ensure their safety, Schill said.

Northwestern also fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald and baseball coach Jim Foster amid the allegations of misconduct and hazing.

NewsNation digital content producer Devan Markham and The Associated Press contributed to this report.