Cheerleader Drops Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Northwestern University

EVANSTON, Illinois — A cheerleader has dropped her federal sexual harassment lawsuit against Northwestern University.

Hayden Richardson filed the complaint in the Northern District of Illinois in January 2021, alleging that drunken 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 that Richardson agreed to withdraw his complaint Monday and that Judge Edward Chang approved the decision Tuesday. The records do not indicate why Richardson dropped the complaint. Richardson’s attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, declined to comment. Northwestern’s attorney, Alan Pittler, did not immediately respond to a message.

Richardson alleged in her complaint that then-cheerleading coach Pam Bonnevier forced female cheerleaders to mingle with high-powered donors to help raise more money for the university. She said older men touched her over her uniform, lifted her up without her consent, made sexual comments about her appearance and offered her alcohol while she was underage.

The lawsuit named former athletic director Mike Polisky as a defendant. He resigned in May 2021, after just one week on the job, saying that “current challenges” would not allow him to lead effectively and that 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.