RALEIGH, N.C. – A growing number of former North Carolina State University male student-athletes—now totaling 31—have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation against the university’s former sports medicine director, Robert Murphy. The amended lawsuit, filed late Friday, significantly expands the scope of the legal challenge.
Allegations Detail Years of Misconduct
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The lawsuit accuses Murphy and senior athletic department administrators of failing to protect student-athletes from alleged abuse spanning a decade.
- The lawsuit alleges a pattern of misconduct by Robert Murphy during his 2012-2022 tenure.
- Plaintiffs claim administrators were informed of the alleged abuse but failed to take adequate action.
- The amended complaint brings the total number of plaintiffs to 31.
- A separate case is currently stayed pending the outcome of this civil suit.
The lawsuit asserts that senior administrators within the athletic department were informed of the alleged misconduct but did not intervene, characterizing their actions as “willful, wanton and/or reckless” and demonstrating “conscious and flagrant disregard of and indifference to the rights and safety of others.” The initial complaint was filed in Wake County Superior Court in September.
NC State Athletics released a statement Monday emphasizing that “the health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount.” The university spokesperson added, “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.” The school stated it is reviewing the lawsuit and determining its next steps, but declined to comment further.
A lawyer representing Murphy has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Details of the Allegations
The amended complaint details allegations of misconduct occurring during Murphy’s decade-long tenure at the university (2012-2022). Plaintiffs allege Murphy leveraged his position of trust to “sexually assault, abuse, harass, and/or groom” student-athletes entrusted to his care for medical treatment.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims Murphy inappropriately touched athletes’ groins during massage treatments and employed “unnecessarily intrusive urine sample collection methods” during mandatory drug testing. One plaintiff, Ben Locke, recounted being required to shower in front of Murphy less than 24 hours after surgery, under the pretense that Murphy would assist with bandage wrapping and prevent the wound from getting wet. Locke stated he felt unable to question Murphy given his role in sports medicine.
The complaint further alleges that athletes frequently discussed Murphy’s alleged habit of entering locker room showers, observing male student-athletes showering, and staring at their genitals. This behavior, reportedly known as the “Rob Murphy Special,” was allegedly the subject of dark humor, with some joking that “If you had a headache, [Murphy] was probably going to touch your” genitals. Another plaintiff claims Murphy treated a backache with a groin massage.
Initial Reports and Alleged Cover-Up
According to the lawsuit, initial complaints were brought to the attention of men’s soccer head coach Kelly Findley in 2012, who allegedly relayed the concerns to athletic department administrators. While Murphy was reportedly reassigned to other teams, he allegedly returned to working with the soccer team in 2014.
Kerry Sutton, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, stated that student-athletes from eight different sports teams have come forward thus far, and she anticipates additional individuals will come forward in the coming days with allegations of sexual harassment or assault by Murphy.
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