STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — A former Penn State football player has filed a federal lawsuit accusing coach James Franklin and his staff of ignoring assaults related to hazing carried out by teammates.
The lawsuit was filed by ex-player Isaiah Humphries Tuesday, in which Penn State University coach Franklin and player Damion Barber are named as defendants.
In the complaint, Humphries alleges that Barber, Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jesse Luketa hazed lowerclassmen members of the football team as part of initiation into the football program.
In the lawsuit, Humphries alleges that the defendants, referring to sexual harassment, would say things like, “I am going to Sandusky you.”
The lawsuit also references other hazing rituals including, intimidation, bullying and sexual harassment involving the defendants’ genitals.
Humphries alleges in the lawsuit that Penn State football coaching staff observed the hazing and harassment incidents and the harassment was directly reported to Franklin by Humphries’ father, but Franklin took no action to prevent it.
Humphries claims that in retaliation of reporting the harassment, the coaching staff scorned and punished him in various ways.
He says his teammates also threatened him after he reported the harassment.
All of this eventually led Humphries to transfer to a different university, the lawsuit says.
6 News reported that in April, a few days before the Blue and White football game, an alert was circulated on campus about an investigation at the Lasch Building, the football team headquarters, about reports of indecent assaults.
The police report was eventually reviewed by Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna, who confirmed the decision not to file any criminal charges.
In response to the lawsuit, Penn State officials released the following statement:
The University has established processes in place for responding to claims of potential misconduct. In accordance with our processes, the Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response and the Office of Student Conduct carried out investigations of the plaintiff’s claims independent from Intercollegiate Athletics. In addition, Penn State police investigated related allegations and forwarded the results of that investigation to the Office of the Centre County District Attorney (DA). The DA reviewed the case and decided that no charges would be pursued.You can read the full lawsuit below, or by clicking here.
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