Northwestern University said former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch will conduct an independent review of its athletic department following a wide-ranging hazing scandal.
(Bloomberg) — Northwestern University said former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch will conduct an independent review of its athletic department following a wide-ranging hazing scandal.
Lynch, who was attorney general under President Barack Obama from 2015 to 2017, “will examine the culture of Northwestern Athletics to ensure it is consistent with the University’s mission and values as a leading academic institution,” the school said in a statement Tuesday. Her report will be made public following interviews with faculty, staff, students and alumni, the school said.
Northwestern has been embroiled in controversy about longtime hazing in its athletics programs that led to the firing of its football and baseball coaches. Students, including a former quarterback and volleyball player, have filed lawsuits against the university in Evanston, Illinois. Student reporters at the college newspaper helped raise the issues.
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The university said it would monitor the football locker room and institute anti-hazing training by outside experts for all athletic personnel, including students. Northwestern, a member of the Big Ten athletic conference, said it would also provide an online channel for reporting misconduct.
Former football coach Pat Fitzgerald and university leadership face a lawsuit from a former player seeking damages for the hazing, according to the Associated Press.
Lynch now works at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. She recently worked with BlackRock Inc. to investigate allegations of misconduct and also participated in probes at Syracuse University and North Carolina State University. She is currently representing McDonald’s Corp. in three racial discrimination lawsuits, according to the law firm’s website.
–With assistance from Janet Lorin.
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