We are current faculty at Northwestern. We write to call for immediate, comprehensive steps to improve transparency and structures of accountability in Athletics at the university.
As faculty, we want Northwestern to be a place where all students will grow and thrive. We are dismayed to learn that our students have been victims and also perpetrators of hazing, sexual assault, and racism, and that such behaviors have in some cases gone unchecked by authorities entrusted with students’ wellbeing.
The first step is transparency. We know from President Schill’s July 10 statement that at least 11 current or former football student-athletes acknowledged that hazing has been ongoing within the football program, according to a report by an independent investigator hired by the university last year.
The investigator’s findings should be made public to the fullest extent permitted by law, contingent on the consent of the victims. It is essential to learn what was known by Northwestern coaches, staff and administrators, and when, and what steps were taken, or not taken, to address hazing on the football team. Even after Fitzgerald’s firing, Northwestern students, staff, alumni, faculty and donors deserve to know what occurred in order to ensure it never happens again. In the near term, we call on university officials to promise publicly that students who came forward with accounts of abuse and hazing will not lose their scholarships or face other forms of retaliation.
Second, the Athletics Department desperately needs long-term institutionalized oversight. This month’s revelations about the football and baseball teams echo the department’s failure to adequately address the cheer team’s complaints of racism and sexual harassment, an issue that came to a head in 2021 and resulted in the dismissal of Athletic Director Mike Polisky. At that time, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution calling for “a needs assessment for training and accountability measures within the Athletics Department” and for the university to “report on the outcome of the needs assessment to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.” That assessment was never done.
Our students have paid the price. We call on university leadership to undertake the needs assessment called for by the Faculty Senate and to take substantive steps for greater oversight of the Athletics Department, for instance through the creation of a dedicated ombudsperson or office, a widely publicized tip line, or other structural changes.
Finally, Northwestern leadership should halt the planning and marketing of a new, $800 million Ryan Field until this crisis is satisfactorily resolved. Over the past decade, Northwestern has made major and high-profile investments in athletics. We share an interest in ensuring the future success of NU athletics, and in stellar facilities where our students can compete on the highest level. But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse – and high-level efforts to minimize those problems – suggest that we need to get the existing house in order before expanding it.
We salute the brave student athletes who came forward to tell the truth, and we commend Northwestern’s talented and committed student journalists for informing the public when the administration would not. We also applaud President Schill for taking steps to set the football team on a new footing. The dismissal of Coach Fitzgerald is a beginning, not an end, however, and the real work remains to be done. We trust that you share our concerns and that you and other members of Northwestern’s leadership will take comprehensive action to right past wrongs and create a better future for all our students.
Sincerely,
Susan Pearson, Professor of History
Caitlin Fitz, Associate Professor of History
Jessica Winegar, Professor of Anthropology
Amy Stanley, Professor of History
Kate Masur, Professor of History and, by courtesy, Black Studies
Sean Hanretta, Associate Professor of History
Elisa Baena, Professor of Instruction, Spanish and Portuguese
Kevin Boyle, William Smith Mason Professor of American History, History Department,
Martha Biondi, Professor of Black Studies
Kimberly R. Marion Suiseeya, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science,
Julia Stern, Henry Sanborn Noyes Professor of Literature, English Department
Barbara L. Shwom , Professor of Instruction in Writing, Cook Family Writing Program
David Schoenbrun, Professor, History
Rebecca Zorach, Mary Jane Crowe Professor in Art and Art History, Department of Art History
Robert Orsi, Professor of Religious Studies, History, and American Studies
David Boyk, Associate Professor of Instruction, Asian Languages and Cultures
Sarah Maza, Professor of History
Lauren Stokes, Associate Professor, History
Michael Loriaux, Professor, Political Science
Kyle Henry, Associate Professor, Dept of Radio, Television and Film
Shmuel Nili, Associate Professor, Political Science
Luis Amaral, Haven Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Robin Bates, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of History
Barbara Newman, Professor of English
Laura Brueck, Professor, Asian Languages and Cultures,
Katherine E. Hoffman, Associate Professor of Anthropology & MENA Studies
Cynthia Coburn, Professor, School of Education and Social Policy
Michaela Kleber, Assistant Professor, History Department
David Schieber, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Sociology
Ian Hurd, Professor of Political Science
Jaime Dominguez, Associate Professor of Instruction, Political Science
Cynthia Robin, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology
Cindy Gold, Professor of Theatre
Deborah Cohen, Richard W. Leopold Professor of History
Beatriz O. Reyes, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Global Health Studies & CNAIR Affiliate
Dassia Posner, Associate Professor, Theatre
Jeffrey A. Winters, Professor of Political Science
Melissa Blanco, Associate Professor, Theater
Robert Hariman, Professor, Department of Communication Studies
Brannon Ingram, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Sara A Solla, Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Ceci Rodgers, Assistant Professor, Medill
James Schwoch, Professor, Department of Communication Studies and Science in Human Culture Program
David Besanko, IBM Professor of Regulation and Competitive Practices, Department of Strategy, Kellogg School of Management
John Haas, Associate Professor of Instruction/Advisor, Department of Theatre
Catherine Fabian, Au.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Melissa Isaacson, assistant professor, Medill
Thomas Gaubatz, Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures
Mei-Ling Hopgood, William F. Thomas Chair of Journalism, Medill
Leslie M. Harris, Professor, History and African American Studies
Kelli Morgan McHugh, Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of Theatre
Jillana Enteen; Professor of Instruction; Gender and Sexuality Studies
Alicia Caticha, Assistant Professor, Art History Department
Ji-Yeon Yuh, Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies
Reynaldo Morales, Medill School and Buffett Institute
Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Professor, History Department
Kalyani Chadha, Associate Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Integrated Marketing, Media
Emrah Yildiz, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
George Georgiadis, Assoc Prof Strategy
Lincoln Quillian, Professor of Sociology
Brett Neveu, Professor of Instruction, RTVF
Ryan Dohoney, Associate Professor of Musicology, Critical Theory & Comparative Literary Studies
Ezra Getzler, Professor of Mathematics
Linda Gates, Professor of Instruction, Department of Theatre
Marianne Hopman, Associate Professor, Classics
Penelope Deutscher, Professor, Philosophy
Helen Thompson, Professor, English
Peter J. Carroll, Assoc Prof, History
Bryna Kra, Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of Mathematics, Mathematics
Loubna El Amine, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Rosemary Braun, Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences
Mary Pattillo, Professor of Sociology and Black Studies
Christine Froula, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Brett Gadsden, Associate Professor, History
Christine Helmer, Peter B. Ritzma Chair of Humanities, German Department
Kari Lydersen, Assistant Professor, Medill School of Journalism
Onnie Rogers, Associate Prof, Psychology/IPR
Barbara Butts Associate Professor, SOC Theatre
Joshua Chambers-Letson, Professor of Performance Studies and Asian American Studies
Elizabeth Shogren, associate professor of journalism, Medill School
Alex Kotlowitz, professor, Medill
Ben Gorvine, Professor of Instruction, Department of Psychology
Tabitha Bonilla, Associate Professor, Human Development and Social Policy
Michelle Molina, Associate Professor, Religious Studies
Mónica Russel y Rodríguez, Distinguished Senior Lecturer, Anthropology,
Denise Meuser, Professor of Instruction, German
Mimi White, Professor, Department of Radio/Television/Film
Joshua Hauser, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Jennifer Weintritt, Assistant Professor of Classics
Sarah Cushman, Senior Lecturer, History Department
Mary Weismantel Professor of Anthropology
Michelle Shumate, Delaney Family University Professor Communication,
Laura Lackner, Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences
Reuel Rogers, Associate Professor of Political Science
Jon Marshall, Associate Professor at Medill
Michael Maltenfort, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Mathematics & Weinberg Advising,
Therese McGuire, Professor, Strategy Department
Joel Mokyr, Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History
Jen Munson, Assistant Professor, Learning Sciences
Krista Thompson Mary Jane Crowe Professor of Art History Department of Art History
Elizabeth Tipton, Professor of Statistics and Data Science
Matthieu Dupas, assistant professor, French
Jennifer Cole, Associate Professor of Instruction, Chemical & Biological Engineering
JP Sniadecki, Professor, RTVF department
Nasrin Qader, Chair, Associate Professor, French and Italian
Sarah Jacoby, Associate Professor
Patti Wolter, Professor, Medill School of Journalism
Marcela A. Fuentes, Associate Professor, Performance Studies
Claudio E. Benzecry, Professor of Communication Studies and Sociology,
Liz Hamilton, Copyright Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Jing Zheng, Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Desiree Hanford, Assistant Professor and Director of Academic Integrity and Appeals, Medill
Angela Ray, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Julie Myatt, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Theatre
Joseph Ferrie, Professor of Economics
Corey Byrnes, Associate Professor, Comparative Literary Studies, Asian Languages and Cultures, Kaplan Institute
Gina Petersen, Assessment Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Jamie Carlstone, Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Matt Goldrick, Professor of Linguistics
Gregory Ward, Professor of Linguistics, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and by courtesy Philosophy
Ana Maria Acosta, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences
Katie Watson, Associate Professor, Medical Education, Medical Social Sciences, amd Ob/Gyn
Anne Zald, Librarian Faculty, University Libraries
Ariel Rogers, Associate Professor, Radio/TV/Film
Mary McGrath, Assistant Professor, Political Science
Chris Davidson, Campus & Community Engagement Librarian
Igal Szleifer, Christina Enroth-Cugell Professor of Biomedical Engineering
David Gatchell, Clinical Professor Segal Design institute
Jason Nargis, Special Collections Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Sarah Schulman, Ralla Klepak Professor of Creative Writing- Nonfiction
Katharine Breen, Professor of English
Jill Wilson, Professor of Instruction, IEMS
Miriam J. Petty, Associate Professor, Department of Radio/Television/Film
Mark Werwath, Clinical Professor, IEMS
Casey Ankeny, Assoc. Prof. of Instruction
Felipe Jimenez-Angeles, Research Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Jay Grossman, Associate Professor of English
John Anderson, Senior Lecturer, Segal Design Institute
Larry Stuelpnagel, Associate Professor Medill/Associate Professor of Instruction Political Science
Jane E. Sullivan, Professor Emeritus, Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg
Ana Arjona, Associate Professor, Political Science
Alex Birdwell, Associate Professor of Instruction, Segal Design Institute
Anna Parkinson, Associate Professor, Department of German
Angela Y. Lee, Mechthild Esser Nemmers Professor of Marketing
Kevin Buckelew, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Mark Beeman, Professor, Department of Psychology
Kim Hoffmann, Clinical Associate Professor, Segal Design Institute
Janice Mejia, Associate Professor of Instruction, Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences
TJ Billard, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies
Elise De Los Santos, lecturer, Medill
Renee Engeln, Professor of Instruction, Psychology
Ann Shola Orloff, Professor of Sociology and (by courtesy) Political Science, Board of Lady Managers of the Columbian Exposition Chair
Ipek Kocaomer Yosmaoglu, Associate Professor, History Department
Bruce G. Carruthers, Professor of Sociology
Mark W Hauser, Professor of Anthropology, Director of the Program for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Josh Honn, Humanities and Prison Education Librarian, University Libraries
Becca Greenstein, STEM Librarian, University Libraries
Robert Porter, Professor of Economics
Stacy Benjamin, Clinical Professor, Segal Design Institute
Julia A. Behrman, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Dai Horiuchi, Assistant Professor, Dept of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine
Nina Gurianova, Professor of Slavic and Comparative Literatures
Ashish Koul, Assistant Professor, History Department
Emily Maguire, Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Prof. Edward Muir, Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences, History
Jennifer Young, Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
CJ Heckman, Professor, Neuroscience
Steven Epstein, Professor of Sociology and John C. Shaffer Professor in the Humanities
Hector Carrillo, Professor of Sociology and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Jason Kruse, Undergraduate Engagement Librarian, University Libraries
Dean Karlan, Frederic Esser Nemmers Distinguished Professor of Economics and Finance, Kellogg School of Management
Elizabeth Lenaghan, Associate Professor of Instruction, Cook Family Writing Program
Joe Mathewson, Professor, Medill
Kasey Evans, Associate Professor, English/Gender and Sexuality Studies
Jules Law, Professor of English
Ashty Karim, Research Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Peter Slevin, Professor, Medill
Ian Kelly, Ambassador in Residence, Center in International and Area Studies
Aaron Shaw, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Keith Woodhouse, Associate Professor of History
Sarah McFarland Taylor, Associate Professor, Religious Studies
Mérida M. Rúa, Professor, Latina and Latino Studies
Hannah Feldman, Associate Professor, Department of Art History/MENA/CLS
Jeff Rice, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Political Science
Mark Sheldon, Distinguished Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Philosophy
Zach Wood-Doughty, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Computer Science
Will Reno, Professor, Political Science
Rachel Tappan, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences
Tristram Wolff, Assistant Professor of English & Comp Lit Studies
Liz Trubey, Professor of Instruction, English
Liz Son, Associate Professor, Theatre
Almaz Mesghina, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Psychology
Michael Smutko, Professor of Instruction, Physics & Astronomy
Jason Seawright, Professor, Political Science
Satoru Suzuki, Professor, Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience
Alejandra Uslenghi, Associate Professor, Spanish & Portuguese and Comparative Literary Studies
Doug Kiel, Assistant Professor of History
John M. Alongi, Professor Instruction, Mathematics
Tracy Vaughn-Manley, Assistant Professor, Black Studies
Mary Finn, Professor of Instruction, Department of English
Karen J. Alter, Norman Dwight Harris Professor of International Relations, Department of Political Science
Daniel Galvin, Professor of Political Science
Adriana Weisleder, Assistant Professor Communication Sciences & Disorders
Robert J. Gordon, Stanley G. Harris Professor in the Social Sciences
Carson Ingo, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences
Ken Alder, Professor of History
Benjamin Frommer, Associate Professor, Dept. of history
Joanna Grisinger, Associate Professor of Instruction, Center for Legal Studies
Ann C. Gunter, Professor of Art History, Classics, and in the Humanities
Michelle N. Huang, Assistant Professor of English & Asian American Studies
Paul Gillingham, Professor of History
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, Professor, Department of Religious Studies and Political Science
Alvin Tillery, Professor of Political Science
Thrasyvoulos Pappas, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Laura Hein, Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of History
Ava Thompson Greenwell, Professor, Medill
Andrew Miri, Assistant Professor, Neurobiology Department
Mark Witte, Professor of Instruction, Economics
Noelle Sullivan, Professor of Instruction, Program in Global Health Studies
Henry C. Binford, Professor of History, Emeritus
Melissa Macauley, Professor, Department of History
Celia O’Brien, Assistant Professor of Medical Education
Tessie P. Liu, Professor of History and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Megan Hyska, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Laurie Shannon, Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of Literature, English Department
Daniel Dombeck, Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Jane Winston, Associate Professor Emerita, French
William Leonard, Professor of Anthropology & Global Health
Paola Zamperini, Asian Languages and Cultures and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Evan Mwangi, Professor of English
Peter Locke, Associate Professor of Instruction, Global Health Studies
Ivuoma Onyeador, Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations
Janice Radway, Walter Dill Scott Professor Emerita of Communication Studies
Rajeev Kinra, Associate Professor of History and Comparative Literature
Jorge Coronado, Professor, Spanish & Portuguese
J.A. Adande, associate professor, Medill
Lina Britto, Associate Professor, History
Jennifer Tackett, Professor of Psychology
Jeffrey Masten, Professor of English and Gender & Sexuality Studies
Michael Babinec, Metadata Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Jackie Stevens, Professor, Political Science
Matthew Grayson, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Christopher Bush, Associate Professor, French and Italian
Jim O’Laughlin, Associate Professor of Instruction, Cook Family Writing Program
Erica Weitzman, Associate Professor of German
Sylvie Romanowski, Professor emerita, French
Ariel Stess, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Radio/TV/Film
Stephen F. Eisenman, Professor Emeritus of Art History
Nick Davis, Associate Professor, English and Gender & Sexuality Studies
Jeff Eden, Assistant Professor, Department of History
Frank Sweis, User Experience Librarian, Northwestern University Libraries
Lance Rips, Professor, Psychology Department
Cristina Lafont, Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of Philosophy
Mohanbir Sawhney, Associate Dean for Digital Innovation and McCormick Foundation Professor of Technology, Kellogg School of Management
Gregory S. Carpenter, Harold T. Martin Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School
Jessica Thebus, Professor of Theater
Lucille Kerr, Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Susannah Gottlieb, Professor of English and Comparative Literary Studies
Detra Payne, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Theatre
Cynthia Nazarian, Associate Professor, Dept. of French and Italian
Robert Launay, Professor of Anthropology
Koray Aydin, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
This letter is still collecting signatures and will be updated.
