Ex-Northwestern cheerleader Hayden Richardson slams college for response to hazing lawsuits after sh

A former Northwestern University cheerleader who sued the school for sexual harassment has slammed the college's apology after new allegations of abuse and hazing emerged.

Hayden Richardson, 24, sued the prestigious university in 2021, claiming she was sexually harassed and groped by athletic department donors while she and her teammates were 'presented as sex objects to titillate the men' at fundraising events.

The school has since been accused in various lawsuits of allowing an abusive culture and extreme hazing in several sports - and recently fired its football and baseball coaches.

In a statement last month, the school's president Michael Schill acknowledged an internal investigation found hazing at the school's athletic programs 'included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values.'

In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, he apologized to those affected and pledged for change and accountability - while adding that he was 'concerned that fingers of blame and accusation are now being pointed indiscriminately and too broadly.'

Hayden Richardson, 24, sued Northwestern University in 2021, claiming she was sexually harassed and even groped by athletic department donors 

To Richardson, the new accusations against the school's athletic departments are not surprising. She called the school's apology and pledges to do better 'a lot of empty platitudes'

The former cheerleader's lawsuit claims that then-Wildcats cheerleading coach Pamela Bonnevier required the squad to 'mingle' with intoxicated fans at events without security

But to Richardson, the new accusations are not surprising, and Schill's words were 'a legal statement to protect the university from bad PR.'

She told the Chicago outlet: 'If you really care and you're really sorry, you don't need to talk about how great other things are.

'What he is doing there is basically scapegoating. He is trying to say, 'Oh, it was one or two bad actors.' Which is not true. Northwestern … is a system. It is accountable for the actions within that system.'

Richardson added that the penalty for offenders 'is not high enough.'  

'If you don't have anyone forcing you to change, you're not going to change. It seems, at least so far, it's been a lot of empty platitudes,' she said.

She alleged that that the abusive culture is wide-known at the school. 

'These were things that people knew. We were being sexually objectified in an inappropriate way, and they didn't care. They actively didn't care,' Richardson said.

'I made a national stance. That was a hard thing to cope with. … I had never had lawyers before. I was really navigating this on my own.'

Richardson's hazing and bullying allegations echo those in recently-filed lawsuits. 

Former Northwestern football players filed two new lawsuits - the fourth and fifth overall - against the school earlier this month, alleging they were subjected to demeaning and tortuous hazing rituals as freshmen - behavior they say coaches either encouraged or ignored when told.

The lawsuits speak of a 'culture of violent, intimidating, sexualized abuse and hazing, and extreme mental abuse resulting in degradation, humiliation, embarrassment, and at times, causing devastating physical and mental illnesses to individual football players.'

In another incident, Richardson recalled having a sex toy thrown at her during game, saying that Bonnevier found it humorous

She now works as a political operative in Washington D.C. after receiving a Harry S. Truman Scholarship in 2020

The former cheerleader's lawsuit, meanwhile, claims that then-Wildcats cheerleading coach Pamela Bonnevier required the squad to 'mingle' with intoxicated fans at events without security.

'I was taking photos with fans that were grown men and they would put their hands too low,' Richardson said. 'Our coach [Bonnevier] condoned that behavior. She put us in these environments where she knew what was going on and she didn't do anything to stop that.'

Richardson explained she thought she would be kicked off the team if she refused to comply with orders, which could have resulted in her being forced to repay around $10,000 in scholarship money.

When Richardson brought up her concerns to the team, she was told that the cheerleaders needed to seem 'fun.'

'At the meeting, Bonnevier spoke to the team about 'dealing with creepy fans' and attempted to normalize inappropriate sexual behavior/sexual harassment as simply part of the sport of cheerleading,' read the lawsuit. 'She advised the team that that the cheerleaders' number one priority was keeping the fans happy – they needed to always be ''un girls.'

'Bonnevier also stated that there are 'always those creepy fans, and if they place their hand too low or act uncomfortable, just take the picture and move on.' This ideology of 'just take it' permeated the team culture and was consistently reaffirmed by Bonnevier.'

Standing with other former Northwestern athletes last month, former football player Warren Miles Long speaks during a press conference addressing widespread hazing accusations at Northwestern University

Longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired following an internal investigation into hazing that found 'significant opportunities' for the coaching staff to know about it

Michael Schill, President of Northwestern University, attends the 156th annual commencement ceremony at Ryan Field Stadium at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Monday, June 12, 2023

In another incident, Richardson recalled having a sex toy thrown at her during game, saying that Bonnevier found it humorous.

Richardson's lawsuit also claims that Bonnevier told her and her teammates before a 2018 game in Minnesota that they should not eat because it 'was more important for the team to look skinny on game day to entice fans and donors.'

Richardson eventually did report the incidents to the athletic department, which she says mishandled the complaint by failing to report it to the Title IX office.

Northwestern said in a statement: 'While we respect the right of individuals to seek redress through the legal system, it is important to keep in mind that a lawsuit contains allegations, not necessarily statements of fact.'

The school added it 'takes Title IX complaints seriously and investigates them fully.' 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Richardson's attorneys for comment on this story. 

She now works as a political operative in Washington D.C. after receiving a Harry S. Truman Scholarship in 2020.

Her litigation with the school is ongoing. 

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