A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 31 former male athletes from N.C. State University who accused the athletic program’s former director of sports medicine of sexual abuse. The allegations against Robert M. Murphy Jr. also involved oversight failures by N.C. State athletic officials.
The lawsuit claimed that misconduct occurred under the guise of medical treatment and harassment. However, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins ruled these claims invalid due to procedural issues.
The case originally started in 2022 from a federal lawsuit filed by one athlete. Allegations included inappropriate touching during massages and intrusive observations during drug test urine samples.
Judge Collins dismissed the case on the grounds that the statute of limitations had expired for claims dating back to 2013. He also dismissed claims against former athletic director Debbie Yow and current athletic director Boo Corrigan due to jurisdictional issues.
Kery Sutton, representing the former athletes, expressed intentions to appeal the decision. Sutton highlighted that the dismissal focused on procedural matters, not the alleged abuse. New claims are expected as more individuals come forward.
Robert M. Murphy Jr.’s attorney, Jared Hammett, argued that the case unfairly damaged Murphy’s career, describing him as dedicated to aiding athletes.
Of the athletes involved, only two chose not to use ‘John Doe’ for anonymity, including Benjamin Locke, who initiated the original lawsuit in August 2022.
N.C. State emphasized its commitment to students’ safety and stated that it does not tolerate sexual misconduct.