The Northwestern athletic department issued a statement regarding two “hazing incidents” from the 2005-2006 school year late Wednesday.

The first involved the men’s swimming team, and the second occurred among students who portrayed NU mascot Willie the Wildcat, according to the release from Athletic Director Mark Murphy. Both occurred in fall 2005.

The statement came as a pre-emptive defense against a Daily Herald story planned for today in which the Chicago newspaper exposed the hazings. The men’s swimming roster has been removed from the NU athletics Web site.

According to the statement, the men’s swimming team, which finished 10th at the 2006 NCAA championships, forced freshmen to swim in Lake Michigan off the North Campus beach while it was closed, and involved underage drinking in a hazing incident last September. The team also committed, according to the statement, “additional inappropriate behavior that violated the University’s anti-hazing policy.”

An investigation by the Division of Student Affairs concluded the incident had violated NU policy. In response, the team’s annual training trip to Hawaii was canceled, and some swimmers were barred from competing in certain meets. All swimmers were placed on probation, had to perform community service and attended hazing seminars as punishment.

Some upperclassmen on the team were allegedly not allowed to attend a TCU-hosted Dallas meet, among others. Juniors Mike Alexandrov and Matt Grevers did not swim in the first two meets of the season, though not officially as a result of disciplinary actions.

Men’s swimming coach Bob Groseth declined to comment on the incident. Players were told not to comment by the athletic department and to refer all questions to Assistant Athletic Director Mike Wolf.

According to the release, “additional disciplinary action was taken against several members of the team,” but the extent of the action was not described due to federal privacy laws.

In response to the hazing, the athletic department issued brochures on the subject to all coaches and student athletes at NU.

In October 2005, Willie the Wildcat performers staged an abduction of potential mascots. As a result, all students who portrayed the mascot at the time were fired and, like the swimmers, put on disciplinary probation. The hazing was also the reason for Willie’s absence at multiple football games, the release said.

“As I have stated previously, Northwestern will not tolerate hazing of any kind,” Murphy said in the statement.

“When it discovers allegations of hazing or other violations of student conduct regulations, the University will respond quickly and take the appropriate actions.”

With the recent revelation of a potential hazing on the women’s soccer team, there have now been three hazing-related incidents at NU in the last academic year.

Reach Ben Larrison at [email protected].