Polisky stepped down after students and faculty called on the University to reconsider the hiring decision.
For former cheerleader Erika Carter (SESP ‘18), whose petition to reconsider the University’s decision to promote Polisky garnered over 1,300 signatures, the resignation was a relief.
“I feel like my efforts had been actually going toward something, but then at the same time, I know that the fight is not over,” Carter said.
Carter was among the over 200 faculty, staff, students, alumni and Evanston community members who marched Friday to protest the appointment. NU Community Not Cops also hosted a Saturday noise demonstration in solidarity with NU cheerleaders who had raised concerns about Polisky’s appointment.
When Northwestern named Mike Polisky its next athletic director on Monday, some faculty members moved to organize.
Six professors co-signed a Wednesday open letter to Provost Kathleen Hagerty, calling on the University to increase transparency in the selection process.
“The hiring of Polisky… signals a troubling continuity in Athletic Department leadership that, while successful in some areas, failed the University and its students in significant ways,” the letter stated. “We are alarmed by this decision and, indeed, embarrassed on behalf of the university.”
Polisky was named a defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by a former cheerleader earlier this year. In the suit, Weinberg senior Hayden Richardson alleged that Polisky failed to appropriately address complaints filed about sexual harassment. Additionally, in an investigation from The Daily, multiple sources claimed that Polisky did not take allegations of anti-Black racism within the cheer team seriously.
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February 4, 2021
Editorâs Note: Alyssa Johnson was a member of the Northwestern cheerleading program during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. She was contacted by the Office of Equity for their investigation on Pamela Bonnevier but did not participate.
Content Warning: This article includes mentions of physical harassment, racial discrimination and mentions of sexual assault.
Erika Carter (SESP â18) never imagined she would sue her alma mater.
As a Black member of Northwesternâs cheer program from 2016 to 2018, she faced unequal treatment for wearing her natural hair, was forced to split up from other Black teammates on the sidelines for âopticsâ and was told in writing that ethnically Black hairstyles like braids were not allowed on the team. Now in her post-graduation years, she said she plans to take legal action for the racial discrimination she experienced.
UpdatedTue, Feb 2, 2021 at 12:33 pm CT
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Northwestern University officials covered up complaints of sexual assault, exploitation and harassment in its cheerleading program, according to a federal lawsuit filed Friday. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
EVANSTON, IL Northwestern University s cheerleading program functioned as an illegal sex trafficking operation that subjected cheerleaders to pervasive sexual assault and harassment, according to a lawsuit filed by one of its members.
The suit alleges that positions on the cheerleading team were conditioned on being groped by wealthy older donors and intoxicated fans in order to encourage contributions to the university. In order to avoid the financial penalties associated with losing a spot on the team, cheerleaders were forced to endure groping and harassment, according to the suit.