North Carolina Lawsuit Dismissed

A judge in North Carolina has thrown out a lawsuit filed by 31 former male athletes who claimed they suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a former sports medicine director. The dismissal came after Wake County Superior Court Judge Brian Collins ruled on procedural issues.

The lawsuit, initially filed in February, was connected to an earlier federal lawsuit by one athlete in 2022. The allegations against Robert M. Murphy Jr. include claims of inappropriate touching during massages and invasive observations during urine tests for drug screenings.

Judge Collins granted a motion from Murphy’s legal team to dismiss the case, stating that the statute of limitations had expired on the alleged incidents that dated back to 2013. He also dismissed claims against several athletic officials based on jurisdictional grounds.

Kelly Sutton, the attorney representing the former athletes, indicated that she intends to appeal the decision. She emphasized that the dismissal does not reflect on the validity of the sexual abuse allegations. “This termination has nothing to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said, adding that they plan to pursue new claims related to the case.

In an opposing statement, Murphy’s attorney, Jared Hammett, defended his client, arguing that no wrongdoing occurred, and stated that Murphy has dedicated his career to supporting athletes. Interestingly, only two athletes chose to identify themselves, while the rest were listed as “John Doe” to protect their identities. One identified athlete, Benjamin Locke, had been involved since the beginning of the process.

North Carolina State University issued a statement reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct, highlighting the importance of student health and safety within their athletic programs.