A group of former male athletes from North Carolina State has alleged they endured sexual harassment and abuse from their former trainer.
A new report from ESPN found that 11 former athletes who played with North Carolina State between 2013 and 2024 have claimed on the condition of anonymity that former trainer Robert Murphy would inappropriately touch their genitals and use strange drug testing procedures that would require them to be nude under his observation. They also claimed that the university kept Murphy under its employment after they raised concerns.
At least nine of the people who spoke with ESPN are among the 31 plaintiffs currently embroiled in a civil case against North Carolina State. In one particularly harrowing incident labeled only as “John Doe 1” in court documents, a student said that Murphy touched his genitals after coming to him with back pain.
Murphy left the university in 2022 amid a criminal investigation into his conduct. Former soccer player Ben Locke also filed a complaint with campus police in 2022, which led to a Title IX investigation that found Murphy’s conduct “sufficiently severe.”
“The health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to NC State Athletics and the university,” NC State wrote in a statement to ESPN. “Sexual misconduct of any kind is unacceptable. … As this is a pending legal matter, responses to this legal action will be made through the appropriate legal channels, and the university cannot comment further at this time.”
Former men’s soccer player Parker Cross told ESPN that Murphy is the only one who has touched his genitals outside of his marriage.
“I’m a Christian, I saved myself for marriage. So Rob is the only person outside of my wife who has touched me,” Cross told ESPN. “I’ve got to feel that for the rest of my life, that this [expletive] has touched me.”