A former member of the St. Joseph’s University baseball team has initiated legal action, claiming he was forcibly undressed and viciously assaulted during an apparent hazing ritual in March.
This lawsuit, submitted on Monday to the State Supreme Court in Suffolk County, alleges a disturbing pattern of hazing, bullying, physical assault, and humiliation. The complaint also points to negligent supervision and institutional misconduct linked to the university’s varsity baseball team. According to the New York Post, over 30 team members, whose identities remain undisclosed, are accused of participating in this hazing. The report also implicates head coach Thomas Caputo and assistant coach Elliot Robles, suggesting they were aware of the inappropriate conduct.
Within the court documents, it is detailed that the teammates were involved in forcing dirty underwear onto the plaintiff’s face and physically assaulting him. The lawsuit describes the plaintiff experiencing extreme humiliation, feeling threatened and intimidated, and fearing for his personal safety as he tried to fend off the attackers, leading to a violent confrontation.
The alleged incident took place on March 5 during a team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before a scheduled game.
“According to the lawsuit, despite assurances from Robles that room checks and athlete supervision would occur, such measures were notably absent during the March event,” the NY Post highlighted.
“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,’” it added.
Though the lawsuit alleges that Caputo and Robles promised to investigate the incident, the Plaintiff’s attorney, Mike Della, told Newsday that his client received a suspension while others faced no disciplinary action. The Plaintiff also began transferring schools and has been considering leaving baseball altogether.
The university said in a statement that it takes “concerns raised by members of our community seriously. 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.