Ten athletes are now suing over alleged hazing incidents at Northwestern University.
, also described instances of forced nudity and sexual abuse. Diaz's case dates back the furthest so far, meaning mistreatment allegations span more than 15 years, from 2005 to 2022.
But the perpetrators were not limited to student athletes; the coaching staff also made racist comments that emboldened players to target and bully athletes of color, according to Diaz, who is now a licensed clinical therapist and is pursuing a Ph.D. in neuropsychology. Things were even worse for a Black teammate and friend, he said. During a workout, another player told his friend to “do that monkey dance you do.” His clothes and even his gait were ridiculed by teammates, who told him: “why are you doing that gangster walk again?” and “I know you might dress that way when you’re back in the hood ... but you can’t wear that stuff here.”
Diaz said he tried to kill himself at one point because of the racism and bigotry he endured, started seeing a therapist for depression, and still needs treatment to process what happened. He said the psychological damage was significant enough to impair his functioning throughout his time at Northwestern.
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