Pat Fitzgerald’s legal professional searching for December trial date

The legal professional for former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is searching for a December trial date for Fitzgerald’s wrongful termination lawsuit in opposition to the college, primarily as a result of Fitzgerald desires to keep away from sitting out a 3rd season earlier than teaching once more and the date the choose had proposed is April 2025.

Throughout a digital courtroom listening to Tuesday in Chicago, legal professional Dan Webb stated Fitzgerald, who was fired July 10 by Northwestern president Michael Schill within the wake of hazing allegations inside the program, wouldn’t be rehired till his case is resolved.

Fitzgerald appeared within the digital listening to alongside Webb.

Fitzgerald didn’t coach faculty soccer final fall and has not been employed to a school workers for the 2024 season. In October, Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit in opposition to Northwestern and Schill for breach of contract and defamation during which he sought greater than $130 million in misplaced earnings in addition to reputational and punitive damages.

“I am instructed by consultants that if he misses that third season, then it will have a extreme impression on his means to ever get an opportunity to get any form of comparable teaching job,” Webb stated. “It is simply the best way soccer teaching [hiring] works. Soccer teaching selections are made by groups in December, so in December of 2024 and January 2025, there can be selections made on who’s going to educate within the 2025 season.

“I used to be attempting to rescue his means to compete in 2025.”

Prepare dinner County Circuit Decide Daniel J. Kubasiak had proposed April 2025 as a attainable date to attempt the case however didn’t set a trial date Tuesday. Northwestern legal professional Reid Schar stated the 2025 date is “aggressive” however extra achievable than December, citing the big variety of discovery paperwork. Schar stated that about 700,000 paperwork have been reviewed and that June 30 could be a sensible date to finish the doc manufacturing.

“Finally, the plaintiff selected to carry this case,” Schar stated. “The plaintiff … in the end couldn’t resolve it forward of bringing this. He has chosen to pursue this litigation. And so, we’ve got to select a schedule that is truly achievable, not one which’s outlined by what he may need to do with the remainder of his life however one which’s truly achievable and truthful to each events, not simply what he desires.”

The events will reconvene April 2 for an additional listening to. Kubasiak “strongly inspired” each side to achieve a settlement earlier than trial.

“I do not assume any get together wins if this matter goes to trial,” he stated. “That is clearly the kind of matter that must be resolved between the events.”

Northwestern fired Fitzgerald for trigger, simply three days after saying the coach would serve solely a two-week unpaid suspension earlier than the beginning of preseason coaching camp. After receiving a grievance about hazing inside the program in November 2022, the college launched an investigation in January 2023, led by legal professional Maggie Hickey. The probe discovered that whereas claims of hazing from a former participant had been largely corroborated, there was not adequate proof that Fitzgerald and different coaches and workers had information of the incidents.

Webb on Tuesday cited the investigation and described Schill’s determination to fireside Fitzgerald as “a weird turnaround that I do not even know find out how to clarify,” including that the choice has “decimated” Fitzgerald’s profession. Schar countered by noting that further allegations of hazing have surfaced from different former gamers who didn’t converse to Hickey or the opposite investigators.

“If someway the assumption is that it is a easy case as a result of it is sure by what Maggie Hickey’s report discovered, that isn’t an correct evaluation of the issues of this case and the extra proof that is going to be related on this case,” Schar stated.

Fitzgerald is Northwestern’s winningest coach, with 110 victories in 17 seasons. He is also a former two-time nationwide defensive participant of the 12 months on the faculty.