Suit by former NC State athletes alleging abuse by trainer dismissed - ESPN

RALEIGH, N.C. — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack's former director of sports medicine.

In orders filed Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics officials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was filed in February in state court in a case that began with a federal suit brought by a single athlete in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy's attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating as far back as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics officials including former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. The ruling stated that any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as «someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes» while referring to a «rush to judgment» that can impact «real people's lives.»

«The truth is nothing happened but a man's career being ruined for money,» Hammett said. «As a lawyer, I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support