'GOING TO SANDUSKY YOU'
Penn State football hazers ‘threatened to sexually assault player like pedo ex-coach Jerry Sandusky’
PENN State football hazers allegedly threatened to sexually assault a former teammate like pedo ex-coach Jerry Sandusky.
Isaiah Humphries, a former Penn State football player, has filed a federal lawsuit against his coach and fellow players - claiming he was a victim of hazing during his first season on the team.
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Isaiah claims that upperclassman told new teammates: "I am going to Sandusky you" and "I am going to f*** you."
They were referring to Jerry Sandusky - a former Penn State assistant football coach who was convicted of rape and child sexual abuse.
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse in 2012 and re-issued the same sentence of a 30-60 years imprisonment in 2019.
Isaiah said the football hazers threatened the underclassmen on the team with sexual assault.
The alleged abusers have been named as Penn State football coach James Franklin, defensive tackle Damion Barber, linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, and linebacker Jesse Luketa, .
All were members of the Nittany Lions’ football team.
The 46-page lawsuit filed on Monday stated: "The aforementioned prohibited conduct of harassment and hazing served to recklessly or intentionally endanger the mental and physical health of the lower classmen, such as [Humphries]."
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Isaiah also alleged they said the underclassmen were "their b***h because this is a prison."
The hazers allegedly performed rituals which included “wrestling the lower classmen to the ground, and while maintaining a restraint of the lower classmen, another participant would present his penis close to the face of a lower classmen and stroke his genitalia simulating the act of ejaculation," the suit claims.
According to the suit, Franklin and Barber violated the university's anti-hazing policies, the Pennsylvania Hazing Law, and the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Policy.
Isaiah and his father, former Penn State football player Leonard Humphries, told coach Franklin and his staff about the alleged abuse.
But, soon after, Isaiah said he was subjected to "irrational and inappropriate censure" by the team's academic advisor after coming forward, according to the lawsuit.
Penn State “acted negligently, carelessly, intentionally, knowingly, recklessly and breached the duty of card owed to the plaintiff,” the suit stated, .
Isaiah ended up resigning from his football scholarship in November 2018 and transferred to the University of California in January 2019.
On November 28, about his farewell.
He wrote: "After many months of prayer and thought, I will be leaving Penn State. ... But in order to grow and not lose the passion that I have for football and for everything that I value.
"I unfortunate[ly] will be transferring from this place."
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A spokesperson from university told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "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."
Isaiah is seeking seeking financial damages for the harm to his football career and his physical and mental health.
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Steven F. Marino of Philadelphia, Isaiah's attorney, is seeking a jury trial.
On Tuesday, Marino said Isaiah "wants to be vindicated — he didn't leave Penn State because he wanted to.
“He left Penn State because he was harassed, bullied, humiliated. He wasn't protected, like he was entitled to be.”
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