Hazing, Abuse, and Injuries of Illinois College Athletes

Since 2001 our lawyers have helped thousands of people who have been injured in Illinois. Contact us at 312-346-5320 to speak with an attorney for free and in confidence.

If you’re a college athlete in the state of Illinois who has been injured, hazed, or abused by a coach, trainer, teammate, or other university staff, it’s important to know that you have rights. No one deserves to suffer physical or emotional harm in an environment that is supposed to be focused on growth, discipline, and opportunity. If you’ve been hurt, we are here to listen and help. Everything you share with us is completely confidential, even if you decide not to move forward with a case.

Unfortunately, hazing and abuse still happen in many college sports programs, sometimes in ways that are subtle, and other times in ways that are shockingly violent or degrading. Athletes have reported being forced to endure painful rituals as part of team bonding or initiation, such as being beaten, physically restrained, deprived of sleep, or forced to drink large amounts of alcohol. These actions often result in serious physical injuries and lasting psychological trauma. Some have even required hospitalization due to the extent of their injuries.

There are also cases of direct physical abuse from authority figures like coaches or trainers. This can include being punched, slapped, or forced to play through injuries without medical clearance. In some programs, athletes are berated with verbal abuse or humiliation that crosses the line from tough coaching to emotional torment. There have also been reports of sexual abuse and misconduct committed by staff members who took advantage of their positions of trust. These actions can leave lifelong scars and are never the fault of the victim.

It’s not just big schools that have this problem. There was a lot of publicity over football players being allegedly abused at Northwestern and a lot of lawsuits that followed. We also see this happening a lot at smaller schools. It makes sense because the athletic departments are smaller so some of these coaches operate with free reign and limited supervision. Other times they don’t have the manpower to monitor what their players and “leaders” are doing or choose to ignore it.

We understand that coming forward isn’t easy. Many athletes fear retaliation, loss of their scholarships, or damage to their future careers. Some worry they won’t be believed. But the law protects victims of hazing and abuse, and you do not have to go through this by yourself. We have helped numerous other college athletes in similar situations connect with experienced attorneys who know how to handle these sensitive cases. Our goal is always to help you feel safe, supported, protected and informed every step of the way. By calling us you are not committing to a lawsuit, but rather taking an opportunity to find out if you have a case and what your options are.