Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse, misconduct by ex-head trainer
A Wake County Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by 31 former N.C. State male athletes alleging sexual abuse and misconduct by the university’s former sports medicine director, Robert M. Murphy Jr., citing procedural issues including expired statutes of limitations and jurisdictional errors. The athletes’ legal team plans to appeal, arguing the dismissal does not address the alleged abuse and will add new claims against N.C. State for recent victims who have come forward." "article": "A lawsuit filed by 31 former North Carolina State University male athletes alleging sexual abuse and misconduct by the university’s former director of sports medicine, Robert M. Murphy Jr., was dismissed by Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins on procedural grounds. The judge ruled that claims against Murphy, who worked at N.C. State from 2012 to 2022, were barred by the statute of limitations for incidents dating back to 2013. Collins also dismissed claims against former athletic director Debbie Yow and current athletic director Boo Corrigan, stating they should have been filed with the North Carolina Industrial Commission instead of civil court. The lawsuit originated from a 2022 federal complaint by Benjamin Locke, a former men’s soccer player who alleged improper touching during massages and intrusive behavior during drug testing. Two other athletes, including Locke, filed separate federal lawsuits in 2023. All but two plaintiffs remain anonymous, with Locke being the only named athlete who has publicly spoken about the allegations. Murphy’s attorney, Jared Hammett, called the lawsuit a ‘rush to judgment’ and argued it was motivated by financial gain rather than valid claims. Meanwhile, Kerry Sutton, the attorney representing the athletes, stated the dismissal was purely procedural and vowed to appeal, adding that new claims from recent victims would be included. The case originally included nine defendants, with accusations that university officials failed to address concerns about Murphy’s conduct. Sutton previously dismissed former chancellor Randy Woodson from the lawsuit, though details on that ruling were not fully provided in the court filings.
A lawsuit filed by 31 former North Carolina State University male athletes alleging sexual abuse and misconduct by the university’s former director of sports medicine, Robert M. Murphy Jr., was dismissed by Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins on procedural grounds. The judge ruled that claims against Murphy, who worked at N.C. State from 2012 to 2022, were barred by the statute of limitations for incidents dating back to 2013. Collins also dismissed claims against former athletic director Debbie Yow and current athletic director Boo Corrigan, stating they should have been filed with the North Carolina Industrial Commission instead of civil court. The lawsuit originated from a 2022 federal complaint by Benjamin Locke, a former men’s soccer player who alleged improper touching during massages and intrusive behavior during drug testing. Two other athletes, including Locke, filed separate federal lawsuits in 2023. All but two plaintiffs remain anonymous, with Locke being the only named athlete who has publicly spoken about the allegations. Murphy’s attorney, Jared Hammett, called the lawsuit a ‘rush to judgment’ and argued it was motivated by financial gain rather than valid claims. Meanwhile, Kerry Sutton, the attorney representing the athletes, stated the dismissal was purely procedural and vowed to appeal, adding that new claims from recent victims would be included. The case originally included nine defendants, with accusations that university officials failed to address concerns about Murphy’s conduct. Sutton previously dismissed former chancellor Randy Woodson from the lawsuit, though details on that ruling were not fully provided in the court filings.
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