Hayden Richardson filed a federal lawsuit against Northwestern University on Friday, detailing repeated instances of harassment while a member of the cheerleading program, according to the Chicago Tribune's Elyssa Cherney.
Per the 58-page complaint, Richardson experienced being groped by drunken fans and alumni at university-sanctioned events. The program's head coach, Pam Bonnevier, apparently required women cheerleaders to "mingle" with donors for the school's financial gain.
“It became clear to [Richardson] that the cheerleaders were being presented as sex objects to titillate the men that funded the majority of Northwestern’s athletics programs,” the lawsuit read, per the Tribune.