Northwestern to conduct mandatory anti-hazing seminars

INDIANAPOLIS — Northwestern‘s athletic teams will begin participating in mandatory, in-person anti-hazing seminars conducted by outside groups, beginning with the football team, as athletic director Derrick Gragg said he is committed toward making sure that “nothing like this ever happens again.”

In his first interview since football coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired on July 10, Gragg told ESPN that he is determined to remove any hazing from the school’s athletic teams while also supporting athletes in a program that has drawn widespread criticism this month.

“This entire situation, it’s distressing,” Gragg told ESPN. “My heart goes out to everyone who’s involved — victims, of course — but I also want to stress that we have many student-athletes who do the right thing and have always done the right thing, and coaches and staff as well. As the situation evolves, we’re very serious about eradicating anything that’s wrong, the president and the university.

“Not only eradicating it, but also trying to ensure, to the highest levels, that nothing like this ever happens again.”

Northwestern is facing four lawsuits from former football players over hazing and mistreatment within the program, and another from a former volleyball player. Gragg also fired baseball coach Jim Foster on July 13, following an investigation into bullying and mistreatment. Attorneys have also mentioned possible lawsuits involving Northwestern’s softball and soccer programs.

Gragg said Northwestern will investigate any claims or evidence of hazing involving its athletic programs.

In addition to the anti-hazing seminars, Gragg said Northwestern is ensuring that its system for anonymously reporting hazing or other mistreatment is functioning correctly. He also plans to form a committee of experts on hazing and other misconduct, and “enhance our education” in those areas.

“Sometimes people try to maybe scale things, but we have to ensure that student-athletes are properly bonding and that no one feels compelled or pressured to do anything that they don’t want to do,” Gragg said. “There’s no place for that. There’s no place for hazing. There’s no place for misconduct. If you’re going to continue to build a positive culture, you have to eradicate it.”

Both Gragg and university president Michael Schill, who decided to fire Fitzgerald three days after announcing a two-week, unpaid suspension for the coach, have drawn criticism for not holding a news conference to address the situation. Gragg said he has spent the past two weeks meeting with athletes, coaches, staff, trustees and others around the program.

“There are a lot of issues, a lot of sensitivities around legalities, so I…