Penn State responds to lawsuit regarding hazing allegations
BWI Staff
Rivals
Allegations in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by former Penn State safety Isaiah Humphries, that players in the football program conducted hazing, which was then retaliated upon by head coach James Franklin after his complaints, have now elicited a response from the university dismissing the claims.
According to the university's statement Tuesday afternoon:
"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. "
James Franklin was named with the university and Damion Barber as defendants in the civil lawsuit filed by former player Isaiah Humphries.
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According to Humphries' initial complaint, which named teammate Damion Barber, coach Franklin, and the university as defendants in the civil suit, teammates conducted "overtly sexual" hazing toward him during his first year with the Nittany Lions in 2018. He said that Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Jesse Luketa were also involved in the hazing.
"He claims his alleged tormenters would wrestle victims to the ground, then shove their genitals in the victims’ faces or between their buttocks and hump them. Those who resisted were bullied, he contends. Hazers also stole their targets’ clothes, Humphries says."
Upon complaining to Franklin about the misconduct, Humphries claims the staff then retaliated both via workouts and academically, and eventually ran him out of the program as a result. After taking a redshirt during the 2018 season, Humphries transferred out of the program in the offseason to the University of California, where he sat due to NCAA transfer rules this past year.
Later Tuesday, Penn State players past and present started weighing in on the issue:
