EVANSTON, Ill. — A cheerleader has dropped her federal sexual harassment lawsuit against Northwestern University.
Hayden Richardson filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois in January 2021 alleging that intoxicated fans and alumni groped her at school-sanctioned events in 2018 and 2019 and that administrators tried to cover up her complaints.
Online court records show Richardson agreed to withdraw the lawsuit on Monday and Judge Edward Chang approved the move on Tuesday. The documents do not indicate why Richardson dropped the suit. Richardson’s attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, declined to comment. Northwestern attorney Alan Pittler did not immediately return a message.
Richardson alleged in the lawsuit that the cheer team’s coach at the time, Pam Bonnevier, required female cheerleaders to mingle with powerful donors to help bring in more money for the university. She said older men touched her over her uniform, picked her up without her consent, made sexual comments about her appearance and offered her alcohol even though she was underage.
The lawsuit named former athletic director Mike Polisky as a defendant. He stepped down in May 2021, after just one week on the job, said “current challenges” would not allow him to lead effectively and he did not want to be a distraction.
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who claim to be victims of sexual assault or harassment, but is naming Richardson because she has spoken publicly about her allegations.