Former Northwestern Football Players Allege Racist Treatment and Hazing Dating Back to Early 2000s
Allegations include coercive hair-styling rules for Black players, racially charged incidents such as a "watermelon-eating challenge", and severe physical punishment; lawsuits filed by at least 16 former athletes as Northwestern launches probe into misconduct, aided by former attorney general Loretta Lynch.
- Former Northwestern football players Noah Herron and Rico Lamitte have alleged that the program displayed racist behaviors and discriminatory actions including coercive hair-styling rules for black players, racially charged incidents, and extreme physical punishment. These allegations pertain to incidents dating back to the early 2000s.
- Herron and Lamitte detailed the racial bias experienced by black players, including being forced to cut their dreadlocks or cornrows, a 'watermelon-eating challenge' seen as racially insensitive, and excessive physical punishment. Lamitte stated that black players who didn't conform to Northwestern's 'Wildcat Way' were 'teased, humiliated, threatened, hazed and abused'.
- Accusations also include racially-charged derogatory comments allegedly made by former head coach Randy Walker against an Asian-American player, and two black players being physically punished to the point where one of them defecated himself during the 2000 Alamo Bowl.
- Both players, who are not part of the lawsuits filed, spoke out in hopes of driving accountability and cultural change at Northwestern, alleging a toxic culture of 'sexualized hazing and racial discrimination' that the university 'created, enabled and tolerated'.
- Northwestern has launched a probe into these allegations of misconduct, with the aid of former attorney general Loretta Lynch, and at least 16 former Northwestern athletes have filed lawsuits against the school alleging hazing and racism.
ESPN 
