A former St. Joseph’s University baseball player has filed a lawsuit claiming he was stripped naked and assaulted during an alleged hazing incident in March.
The complaint, filed Monday in State Supreme Court in Suffolk County, alleges “a pattern of hazing, bullying, physical assault, humiliation, retaliation, negligent supervision, and institutional misconduct” during the plaintiff’s time on the varsity baseball team. According to the New York Post, the lawsuit claims at least 30 unnamed teammates took part in the alleged hazing, which it says was known to head baseball coach Thomas Caputo and assistant coach Elliot Robles.
“Among other acts, teammates forcibly placed dirty underwear on Plaintiff’s face and physically accosted him,” the lawsuit states. The filing alleges the plaintiff was humiliated, threatened, intimidated and physically assaulted, leaving him fearful for his safety as he tried to defend himself. “A physical altercation ensued,” the complaint says.
The alleged incident took place on March 5 while the team was traveling to a game in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The NY Post reported that the lawsuit argues there was inadequate supervision during the March trip, despite Robles allegedly assuring players that room checks and athlete supervision would be conducted.
“Court filings suggest that an investigation, which included Caputo and Robles taking part, had corroborated the victim’s accounts of what happened and that ‘defendants Caputo and Robles were aware that Plaintiff had not been the aggressor,’” the outlet added.
Although the lawsuit says Caputo and Robles pledged to look into the incident, the plaintiff’s attorney, Mike Della, told Newsday that his client was suspended while other players were not disciplined. The plaintiff has also started the process of transferring schools and is considering whether to stop playing baseball altogether.
In a statement, the university said it takes “concerns raised by members of our community seriously,” adding, “This matter is currently the subject of pending litigation.”
“Out of respect for that process, we are not in a position to comment in detail on the allegations. The University strongly disagrees with the allegations and will address them through the appropriate legal process,” it added.
