Northwestern’s PR nightmare continues with football team’s ‘tone-deaf’ T-shirts
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The Northwestern soccer group might have dug itself right into a deeper gap.
Following former head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s firing last month due to hazing allegations inside the program, group staffers confirmed as much as Wednesday’s observe sporting T-shirts that appeared to help Fitzgerald.
“Cats In opposition to the World,” the T-shirts learn with the No. 51 printed on prime.
Fitzgerald, who was the pinnacle coach for 17 seasons at Northwestern, wore No. 51 whereas a star linebacker for the Wildcats through the mid-Nineties.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian was among the many group that wore the shirts.
“I’m extraordinarily dissatisfied that a couple of members of our soccer program workers determined to put on ‘Cats In opposition to the World’ T-shirts,” Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. “Neither I nor the College was conscious that they owned or would put on these shirts right now.
“The shirts are inappropriate, offensive and tone-deaf. Let me be crystal clear: hazing has no place at Northwestern, and we’re dedicated to do no matter is important to handle hazing-related points, together with completely investigating any incidents or allegations of hazing or another misconduct.”
Along with the hazing accusations from a month-long investigation, Fitzgerald was also accused of having a “culture of enabling racism” in this system.
Northwestern president Michael H. Schill mentioned the hazing included “compelled participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern insurance policies and values.”
Fitzgerald has maintained that he was unaware of the hazing.
Interim head coach David Braun was requested in regards to the shirts on Wednesday after observe.
“All my power and intention is to go in to verify this workers and these gamers have a head coach that has their greatest pursuits on the forefront of his thoughts,” Braun mentioned, according to CBS News.
“I’ve not put any of that power into contemplating the potential of censoring any individual’s free speech.”
Senior broad receiver Bryce Kirtz mentioned the shirts are a memento for the squad sticking collectively amidst the controversy that has adopted the soccer program this summer time.
“Coach Braun, he’s been preaching that we must always stick collectively, particularly throughout a time like this, so the shirts are actually a reminder to essentially enable us to stay collectively. It’s only a reminder,” Kirtz mentioned.
Northwestern opens the 2023 season on Sept. 3 in opposition to Rutgers.
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