Former athletes join lawsuit against NC State over sexual assault claims
SAMPSON COUNTIES. CARLY HAYNES,
WRAL NEWS, SAMPSON COUNTY.
>> 14 FORMER NC STATE MALE
ATHLETES ARE NOW SUING THE
FORMER CHANCELLOR AND ATHLETIC
DEPARTMENT. HIGHER-UPS FOR
FAILING TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST
A TRAITOR. THEY SAY SEXUALLY
ASSAULTED THEM. THE NEW CIVIL
LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN WAKE
COUNTY AND WRAL'S ACTUALLY ROSE
HERE. NOW, ASHLEY, THIS LAWSUIT
POINTS THE FINGER DIRECTLY AT
THE DEFENDANTS HERE AND THE
FORMER DIRECTOR OF SPORTS
MEDICINE, ROBERT MURPHY IS THE
KEY DEFENDANT IN THIS CASE.
>> THE ATHLETES SAY THEY
COMPLAINED FOR YEARS ABOUT
MURPHY INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHING
THEM WHILE RECEIVING TREATMENT.
THE LAWSUIT ALSO SAYS STATES
FORMER COACH WENT UP THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND WITH CONCERNS, BUT
NOTHING WAS EVER DONE. FORMER
SOCCER PLAYER BEN LOCKE IS ONE
OF THE 2 NAMES DEFENDANTS IN
THE CASE HE FILED THE INITIAL
LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT BACK
IN 2022, HE SAYS MURPHY
REPEATEDLY TOUCHED HIM
INAPPROPRIATELY IN LOCKS CASE,
THOUGH, ACCORDING TO THE SUIT,
HE DIDN'T TELL ANYONE AT THE
TIME. HOWEVER, THE LAWSUIT
CLAIMS FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
DEBBIE YOW WAS AWARE OF OTHER
COMPLAINTS BUT DIDN'T INITIATE
AN INVESTIGATION. CURRENT AD
BOOK, OREGON IS ALSO NAMED AS
A DEFENDANT BECAUSE SOME OF
THE ATHLETES SAY THEY WERE
ASSAULTED DURING HIS TENURE
WHICH STARTED IN 2019. HOWEVER,
THERE'S NO MENTION OF CORRIGAN
HAVING DIRECT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
THE ACCUSATIONS. NOW NC STATE
DID EVENTUALLY CONDUCT ITS OWN
INVESTIGATION ABOUT LOCKS
ACCUSATIONS. THE MAIN
CONCLUSION, A PREPONDERANCE OF
EVIDENCE THAT MURPHY'S CONDUCT
CREATED AN INTIMIDATING
THREATENING AND ABUSIVE
ENVIRONMENT. LUCK FILED HIS
INITIAL LAWSUIT A COUPLE OF
MONTHS LATER. SINCE THEN, THE
13 OTHER ATHLETES HAVE SIGNED
ON ALL WITH SIMILAR STORIES.
WE REACHED OUT TO YELLS