Former Northwestern football player details 'systemically toxic' culture in program
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) – A former Northwestern football player is speaking out about the environment on the field and in the locker room in the wake of the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald after an investigation into hazing allegations within the program.
CBS 2's Charlie De Mar was in Evanston trying to get more answers from Northwestern officials.
Students CBS 2 spoke to said they want to hear directly from Northwestern's athletic director and president, who declined requests to appear on camera. So CBS 2 went looking for them.
There was no answer at Schill's house. Nobody from the administration offices cared to speak either.
But the voice of former Northwestern football player Ramon Diaz Jr. is speaking volumes.
"The culture is systemically toxic, and I think people don't want to acknowledge that," Diaz said.
He's now a clinical psychologist but was an offensive lineman for the Wildcats from 2004 to 2009. He outlined a culture of racism in the football program, where other so-called teammates shaved the words "Cinco de Mayo" into his head.
Diaz said he was also hazed in sexually explicit ways.
"I never felt like the option to say 'no' was available to me," he said.
Diaz added there was "a lot of psychological intimidation." As he has come forward to share his experience, he is also responding to criticism surrounding previous public comments that appeared to support Fitzgerald and the football program.
"I love being a Wildcat," Diaz said. "I love who I am as a Wildcat. I'm proud of the people I played with, and I know there's significant improvement that can be made. Two truths can exist at the same time."
Schill said in a statement explaining his decision to fire Fitzgerald: "The hazing included forced participation, nudity, and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values."
Fitzgerald released a statement that read in part, "I had no knowledge whatsoever of any form of hazing within the Northwestern football program."
"This is a textbook example of how not to handle a PR crisis," said Michelle Damico, who runs a public relations and crisis management firm.
Damico said from the initial two-week suspension to the lack of communication and accountability; Northwestern has smudged its sparkling reputation.
"There is going to be a reckoning with how in touch school leaders are with their fans, students, community, and donors," Damico said. "They blundered by seemingly not having a crisis communications plan. We would have seen them taking charge, giving interviews, having a unified message about how they are going to make this right."
"I think enough is enough," Diaz said. "I think things needed to stop."
Diaz said his experiences at Northwestern influenced his decision to become a psychologist. CBS 2 has yet to hear from anyone from the university on camera.