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The alleged victim count in a sexual abuse lawsuit against ex-NC State trainer Robert Murphy Jr. more than doubled when 17 former Wolfpack male athletes joined as plaintiffs. An amended complaint filed last week includes a total of 31 plaintiffs, which attorney Kerry Sutton said comprises athletes from eight different sports teams. Three former athletes filed individual lawsuits in 2022 and 2023, and the case grew in September when 11 alleged victims filed a fourth suit.
The lawsuit alleges that Murphy over multiple years engaged in acts of misconduct involving improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug tests.
Murphy, who worked at NC State from 2012-22 and was promoted to director of sports medicine in 2018, is one of nine defendants named in the lawsuit. The others are school officials, including former athletic director Debbie Yow, who are accused of negligence. The plaintiffs claim that Yow and other administrators were aware of Murphy’s behavior but did not investigate nor prevent him from working with male athletes.
“The health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to NC State Athletics and the university,” a university spokesperson said Monday to ESPN. “Sexual misconduct of any kind is unacceptable, prohibited by NC State’s policies, and in direct opposition to the mission, culture and standards of the university. NC State is reviewing the lawsuit and determining appropriate next steps.”
NC State placed Murphy on administrative leave and fired him in 2022, the same…
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