A former member of the St. Joseph's University baseball team has filed a lawsuit against the institution, its head coach, an assistant coach, and 30 unidentified teammates. The suit alleges a pervasive culture of hazing, bullying, physical assault, and humiliation, culminating in an incident where the plaintiff claims he was forcibly attacked by teammates.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, names St. Joseph's University, head baseball coach Thomas Caputo, assistant coach Elliot Robles, and 30 unidentified teammates as defendants. The plaintiff, an 18-year-old former player, asserts that a "pattern of hazing, bullying, physical assault, humiliation, retaliation, negligent supervision, and institutional misconduct" occurred during his time on the varsity baseball team. The suit also includes claims of negligence against the university for its supervision and hiring of coaching staff.
According to the lawsuit, incidents of hazing were not isolated. In one alleged instance, the plaintiff was pressured to strip naked and expose himself to teammates, though he refused, other teammates reportedly complied. The suit states that "Defendants permitted and fostered a culture of hazing and abuse within the baseball program," a culture that coaching staff was allegedly aware of and which manifested in violent misconduct on prior team trips.
During a March trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the plaintiff alleges he was "forcibly attacked" by teammates, who "forcibly placed dirty underwear on Plaintiff's face and physically accosted him." The lawsuit details that the plaintiff "was humiliated, threatened, intimidated, and physically assaulted, was placed in fear for his physical safety, and attempted to defend himself from the attack. A physical altercation ensued."
Despite assistant coach Robles reportedly informing the team that room checks and player supervision would be conducted during the trip, the lawsuit claims adequate supervision was absent during the incident. The suit states, "Despite such representations, and despite their knowledge of prior violent misconduct on team trips, defendant failed to conduct adequate room checks and failed to adequately supervise student athletes."
St. Joseph's University conducted its own investigation into the alleged incident, which reportedly corroborated the victim's account with witness statements. However, the lawsuit contends that despite the findings, head coach Caputo and the university failed to punish those responsible. Instead, the suit alleges that the defendants attempted to coerce the plaintiff into accepting responsibility and "effectively destroyed Plaintiff's collegiate athletic experience."
The plaintiff's attorney, Mike Della, told Newsday that his client was ultimately suspended following the altercation. The former player is reportedly transferring schools after his freshman year and may discontinue his baseball career due to the ordeal.
A spokesperson for St. Joseph's University acknowledged awareness of the legal matter, stating, "While we take 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."
The lawsuit cites the St. Joseph's Student Handbook and Code of Conduct, which explicitly prohibit hazing, including any behavior that endangers a student or disregards another person's rights, dignity, or well-being. It also references prior incidents, including an alleged attempt by players to kick down a hotel door in a previous season and a practice of physically restraining teammates against their will, all of which the lawsuit claims were known within the baseball program.