NC State’s sexual harassment lawsuit against 31 former athletes has been dismissed by a judge
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A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by 31 male NC State athletes who alleged sexual harassment by the athletic program’s former director of sports medicine.
A lawsuit was filed under the misdemeanor and harassment charges against Robert M. Murphy Jr., and NC State athletic officials bound by antitrust laws.
However, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed the allegations, citing procedural reasons.
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North Carolina State Wolfpack club seats are set up for fans during the college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and North Carolina State at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 8, 2019. (Michael Berg/Icon Sportswire)
The case, which was filed in February in state court, was a case that began in 2022 when one athlete came forward with his case. Murphy is said to have had a history of inappropriate behavior over the years, including touching his private parts inappropriately during a massage and being observed in a strange manner while taking urine samples for drug testing.
Ultimately, Collins granted a motion by Murphy’s attorneys to seek dismissal of the case, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired on the claims dating back to 2013.
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Also, Collins dismissed claims against athletic officials, including former athletic director Debbie Yow and athletic director Boo Corrigan, for legal reasons.
Kery Sutton, who has represented former NC State athletes since the first case, said they plan to appeal the judge’s decision.
“This dismissal has nothing to do with the abuse of Mr. “It was decided based on questions of legal process only. We plan to contest this result and in the coming days we will submit new applications to NCSU for the men who have recently come forward.”
The NC State Wolfpack logo appears on the shorts during the second round game at the Southwest Maui Invitational against the Boise State Broncos at the Lahaina Center in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Nov. 25, 2025. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“The truth is nothing happens but someone’s career is ruined because of money,” said Jared Hammett, Murphy’s attorney, in a statement. “As a lawyer, I am happy that we were able to help another person who needed support and found himself in need of that defense.”
Hammett’s statement also described Murphy as “dedicated to working with athletes.”
Only two athletes involved in the lawsuit filed without using “John Doe” as the plaintiff’s name to protect anonymity. One of them was Benjamin Locke, a men’s soccer player with the Wolfpack who filed the first lawsuit in August 2022.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack logo is displayed during the second half of NC State’s game against the Miami Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 15, 2020. (Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire)
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“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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