Former Northwestern football player Ramon Diaz is filing a lawsuit against the school Wednesday, alleging he was hazed and mistreated in the program largely because of his race.
Diaz, an offensive lineman for the Wildcats from 2005 to 2008, alleges that he was subjected to hazing that included the mocking of his Mexican heritage along with «microaggressions» from comments made by former offensive line coach Bret Ingalls as well as sexualized acts that have previously been alleged by other former players.
He says several Northwestern coaches witnessed hazing incidents or should have been aware of them. The lawsuit claims that two former assistants — Ingalls and James Patton, who also coached the offensive line — made «racist, embarrassing, degrading, and harassing remarks» toward Diaz and other players. According to the lawsuit, Ingalls and Matt MacPherson, a longtime Northwestern assistant still with the program, witnessed hazing incidents and «took no action to address and/or prevent» them from happening.
Diaz's lawsuit also alleges that Adam Cushing, Northwestern's tight ends coach at the time, should have been aware of the hazing and mistreatment.
«There is a culture that has been condoned by the athletic department and university that has allowed these coaches to behave the way they do,» Diaz told ESPN. «I believe focus should be shifted toward the athletic department specifically, but Northwestern at large. The atmosphere will not change systematically if that does not happen.»
MacPherson, Northwestern's defensive backs coach and associate head coach, has been mentioned in other lawsuits and is being investigated by the school.
Patton, who left Northwestern after Diaz's freshman year in 2005, is the offensive line
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