Penn St., Franklin in hazing lawsuit
The Penn State football program maybe in hot water again.
Coach James Franklin allegedly ignored and forced Isaiah Humphries out of the program after the defensive back complained about hazing, Humphries claimed in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, PennLive reported.
According to Humphries, the perpetrators told him, “I’m going to Sandusky you,” referring to former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who is serving 30 to 60 years in jail for molesting young boys at Penn State.
Penn State released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying the Centre County District At torney’s off ice “reviewed the case and decided that no charges would be pursued” after being forwarded findings from an investigation by Penn State police. The university said its Off ice of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response and the Off ice of Student Conduct also investigated Humphries’ allegations.
Humphries is suing Franklin and defensive tackle Damion Barber, while three more players — Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Mat os and Jesse Luketa — were alleged to have led the hazing. Parsons is projected to be among the top defensive players in college football next season, while Gross-Matos is the third-ranked defensive end prospect in the 2020 NFL draft , according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
Luketa allegedly went as far as threatening to have H um phrie skilled for complaining about the hazi ng, Humphries claimed in the lawsuit. Humphries also claimed players told underclassmen they were “their b---h because this is a prison,” threatening them with sexual assault. — Greg Joyce
Humphries, a four-star recruit from Texas, did not play as a freshman for the Nittany Lions in 2018 before transferring to the University of California. He claimed that Penn State coaches ordered him to do football drills they knew he would fail and they later gave him negative reviews to other programs where Humphries considered transferring.
Last August, Franklin was named in a separate lawsuit, which alleged he tried to interfere with decisions about injured players and when they could return to the field.