Coach James Franklin and his staff ignored violent hazing on Penn State’s football team, including threats by the perpetrators that, “I’m going to Sandusky you,” an ex-player claims in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The hazing was overtly sexual, ex-player Isaiah Humphries contends in his U.S. Middle District Court complaint.

He names the university, Franklin and ex-teammate, Damion Barber of Harrisburg, as defendants in the case. Also, he accuses players Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jesse Luketa of being ringleaders of the alleged abuse.

Luketa even threatened to have him killed for complaining about the hazing, Humphries contends. He says Franklin and the other coaches forced him out of the football program for complaining.

Penn State officials declined to comment on the suit immediately, saying they had not yet seen it.

Humphries claims he resigned his Penn State football scholarship and transferred to the University of California because of the hazing. He seeks unspecified financial damages for the harm he says it caused to his football career and to his physical and mental health.

The hazing occurred in several areas on campus, including the Lasch Building, and was observed repeatedly by coaches who didn’t intervene, the suit states.

Humphries says the hazers told underclassmen on the team that they were “their bitch because this is a prison” and threatened them with sexual assault.

“I am going to Sandusky you,” was a threat also voiced by the supposed abusers in reference to disgraced former Coach Jerry Sandusky, who is in prison for molesting young boys, Humphries claims.

He claims his alleged tormenters would wrestle victims to the ground, then shove their genitals in the victims’ faces or between their buttocks and hump them. Those who resisted were bullied, he contends. Hazers also stole their targets’ clothes, Humphries says.

Humphries claims he and his father, Leonard Humphries, a former Penn State player who went on to play in the NFL, complained about the alleged hazing, but were ignored.

In retaliation for complaining, Humphries claims he was ordered to perform football drills the coaches knew he would fail. He contends the team’s academic advisor subjected him to “irrational and inappropriate censure.”

When he decided to leave, Penn State coaches gave negative reviews to their counterparts at other college programs to which he was considering transferring, Humphries contends.

Luketa threatened him with physical harm, he claims and told him if he “ever visited ‘his city’ in the country of Canada that he would make certain that (Humphries) was gunned down upon arrival,” the suit states.

Humphries claims Barber was charged with violating Penn State’s anti-hazing policy and sanctioned after an investigation by the university’s Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response last year.

Humphries is represented in his suit by attorney Steven F. Marino, the same lawyer who filed a lawsuit against Franklin and Penn State on behalf of former team doctor Scott A. Lynch, who claims Franklin pressured him to return injured players to the field.

A safety, Humphries was a four-star recruit for the Lions from Sachse, Texas. He did not suit up for the Lions in 2018 and left after just one season. Humphries sat out the 2019 season before playing for the PAC-12 school as a redshirt sophomore in 2020.

Staff writer Greg Pickel contributed to this report.

WEST HAM’S former head of player recruitment Tony Henry has been hit with a misconduct charge by the FA over allegations of racism against African players.

Henry was exposed in February after telling agents that he was not interested in signing players from Africa because they “cause mayhem”.

West Ham launched an immediate investigation into his behaviour, and they sacked him within 24 hours — claiming they would not tolerate discrimination of any form.

Now FA disciplinary officials have hit Henry with a misconduct charge which could lead to him being banned from the game if proven guilty.

An FA statement read: “Tony Henry, former West Ham United FC Head of Player Recruitment, has been charged with misconduct in relation to comments he made which are alleged to be improper and/or insulting and/or abusive.

“It is further alleged that this breach of Rule E3(1) is an “Aggravated Breach” as defined in Rule E3(2), as it included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality and/or colour. Mr Henry has until 15 May 2018 to respond to the charge.”

PA:Press Association

Henry is alleged to have sent an email which said the club had decided against signing any footballers from Africa amid concerns over their attitude.

He is said to have cited the behaviour of former striker Diafra Sakho, a Senegal international, as one of the reasons behind the stance – which left West Ham open to allegations they had broken discrimination laws.

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It is alleged Henry said: “We had problems with Diafra Sakho. We find that when they are not in the team they cause mayhem.

“It’s nothing against the African race at all. I mean, look, there are top African players.

“It’s just sometimes they cause a lot of problems when they are not playing, as we had with Diafra. He’s left, so great. It’s nothing personal at all.”

At the time, the Hammers released a statement which read: “West Ham United have today terminated the contract of Director of Player Recruitment, Tony Henry, with immediate effect following his unacceptable comments that were widely reported in the press.

 

“Our action follows a full and thorough investigation

“West Ham United will not tolerate any type of discrimination.

“The West Ham United family is an inclusive one where, regardless of gender, age, ability, race, religion or sexual orientation, everybody feels welcome and included.”