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New hazing lawsuits filed looked directly at Plaintiffs include Fitzgerald Fox during a team meeting named linebacker and accused him of “bitchand moaning to (his) and whistleblower ing therapists about not playing By NICOLE MARKUS
daily senior staffer @nicolejmarkus
Content warning : This story contains mention of hazing , sexual assault and suicidal ideation. Three new former football players filed lawsuits Wednesday in the Cook County Circuit Cour t against Northwestern and former coach Pat Fitzgerald. Plaintiffs in the lawsuits include former linebacker Nathan Fox (SESP ’19) and the anonymous former player who first reported the hazing to the University and spoke to ArentFox Schiff attorney Maggie Hickey during the independent investigation. The lawsuits list new allegations against the team and coaching staff, one of which details how Fox told at least six NU employees — including several mental health professionals — about the hazing years prior to Hickey’s investigation. According to the lawsuit,
and having unfair treatment” after a therapist allegedly urged Fox to waive his confidentiality rights and Fox agreed to it. Fox alleges that a therapist at NU told him the hazing was not “real” but instead a symptom of depressive bipolar disorder, prescribing him medication that caused serious side effects including mental fogginess, sleep paralysis, memory loss and suicidal thoughts. “It is abundantly clear to us that numerous staff members knew about the violent sexual hazing and emotional abuse that was occurring under Northwestern’s watch,” Levin & Perconti attorney Margaret Battersby Black wrote in a Wednesday news release. “Employees were told about the abusive hazing by some of the players. Instead of doing the right thing and reporting the abuse or taking steps to stop it, those who knew either ignored it or retaliated against those
» See LAWSUIT, page 6
Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern
Mayor Daniel Biss delivered his State of the City address at Evanston SPACE on Wednesday.
Biss recaps testy year, looks ahead State of the City speech addressed Ryan Field, recent city policies By SHUN GRAVES
the daily northwestern @realshungraves
After a year marked by testy debates over Ryan Field and city responsiveness, Mayor
Daniel Biss lauded a benefits pact with Northwestern and called on Evanston to continue advancing on priorities like affordable housing in his annual State of the City address. In front of about a hundred
people on Wednesday, Biss rattled off recent policies like a flavored tobacco ban, modified guaranteed income program and community responder initiative as evidence of an effective city government.
“As I think about the situation that we find ourselves in Evanston — the opportunities that are before us and the challenges that we face — what I see as most necessary is for us
» See STATE OF THE CITY, page 6
Event spotlights linguistic diversity Former patients Festival of Languages and Cultures returns for third straight year By JERRY WU
daily senior staffer @jerrwu
Lively chatter floated from language information tables decorated with colorful flyers and containers of cultural foods as students passed by The Rock at the start of the week. Organized by Northwestern language professors, the third annual Festival of Languages and Cultures is underway, aiming to celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity on campus. From Monday to Wednesday, students and professors propped up conversation and information tables related to the language courses and curriculums offered at NU. At each language stall — including ones for French, Arabic, Hebrew and Chinese — attendees showcased traditional snacks, drinks, garments and other cultural items. With festival plans beginning in winter, organizers on the Outreach Committee of the Council on Language Instruction said they set out
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to spotlight “less commonly taught” languages and engage more student enrollment in the language department. NU currently offers around 20 languages through academic departments and programs. Festival organizer and Portuguese Prof. Ana Thomé Williams said the table conversations remain her favorite part of the week’s programming since the festival’s inception two years ago. “The main focus is for the students to know how important it is to know other languages, how important it is to have an open mind for global communication and how each language can open doors for them,” Williams said. The festival concludes on Friday and will feature guest lectures, language gatherings, film screenings and art exhibits. According to Williams, this programming showcases the breadth of different cultures and spoken languages in the community. Thursday’s annual variety show will include recitals, dances, movies and skits. Students will also have the
to receive millions Northshore Health settlement reached in class action suit By HANNAH WEBSTER
the daily northwestern @hannahe_webster
Illustration by Ziye Wang
Students and professors from NU language departments propped up information stalls around The Rock from Monday to Wednesday.
opportunity to win multicultural prizes through raffles. McCormick sophomore Mel Vasquez stopped by the festival to greet their previous language professors. After taking a full year of Italian at NU, they said they might also be interested in
learning Arabic too. “In practice it would be a big time commitment, but I do like learning about different parts of the world, how the languages are related,” Vasquez
» See FESTIVAL, page 6
More than two decades after NorthShore University HealthSystem merged with Highland Park Hospital — a move the Federal Trade Commission deemed anticompetitive in 2007 — former patients will be paid out by a class action settlement. In a Monday hearing at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang approved a $55 million settlement between NorthShore University HealthSystem — now a part of Endeavor Health — and a class of former patients. Originating from complaints filed in 2007, the suit alleged that NorthShore violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and Clayton Act, subjecting customers to higher prices for healthcare services. NorthShore denied these
allegations, and in December 2023 — facing a trial scheduled for Jan. 9, 2024 — the parties reached a settlement agreement. In 2008, the FTC ordered the creation of separate negotiating teams for inpatient and outpatient care to stimulate competition at the hospitals. It also required prior notice of acquisitions for 10 years. The FTC order did not include damages for any customers who were overcharged for services. The lawsuit gained class certification in 2013. Chang said both parties faced substantial risk in trial and that the settlement amount was appropriate considering the plaintiff ’s estimated maximum damages of $227 million. “We would all have been waiting with baited breath to see what the jury would come up with,” he said. Chang said thousands of claims have been submitted individually on top of thirdparty claims. He determined that the settlement notice plan was appropriate and “reached
» See SETTLEMENT, page 6
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