Northwestern hires ex-U.S. AG Loretta Lynch to lead investigation - ESPN

Northwestern has hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to lead investigations into the athletic department's culture and accountability mechanisms following allegations of hazing and mistreatment that have impacted several of the school's sports programs.

Lynch, now working for the New York-based law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, will begin her reviews immediately. University president Michael Schill has said her findings will be made public, unlike a university-commissioned investigation of hazing allegations within the football program earlier this year. The earlier investigation, which corroborated some of the allegations, initially resulted in a two-week suspension for longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald. Schill soon reconsidered the penalties for Fitzgerald and fired the coach three days later, citing a culture that had been partially «broken.»

Northwestern is facing lawsuits from several former football players, as well as a former volleyball player, who alleged hazing and abuse under coach Shane Davis. The school also announced July 13 that baseball coach Jim Foster had been relieved of his duties, after conducting an investigation into allegations of bullying and mistreatment. Attorneys representing former Northwestern athletes who have filed lawsuits say more are coming, impacting other sports such as softball and soccer.

«Hazing has absolutely no place at Northwestern. Period,» Schill said in a statement. «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. We will provide all of our students with the resources and support they need and do