A former member of the St. Joseph’s University baseball team has sued the school and coaches over allegations that he was stripped naked, physically assaulted and hazed by teammates.
The lawsuit, viewed by the Daily Mail, was filed on Monday and names the Long Island university, head baseball coach Thomas Caputo, assistant coach Elliot Robles and 30 unidentified teammates as defendants.
It alleges that ‘a pattern of hazing, bullying, physical assault, humiliation, retaliation, negligent supervision, and institutional misconduct’ occurred while the plaintiff, 18, was a member of the varsity baseball team. The Daily Mail is choosing not to publicly name the alleged victim.
It also makes claims of negligence, negligent supervision of student athletes, and negligent hiring, retention and supervision of the coaching staff.
The lawsuit details a number of allegations of eyebrow-raising incidents involving a hazing culture that the coaching staff was already aware of prior to the assault on the plaintiff.
In one alleged instance, the plaintiff was pressured to ‘strip naked and stand exposed’ in front of his teammates while only being allowed to cover up with a plastic cup. He refused to do so but other teammates ‘succumbed’ to the pressure.
St. Joseph’s University and baseball coach Thomas Caputo have been sued by a former player
The lawsuit accuses the university’s varsity baseball team of ‘a pattern of hazing, bullying’
‘Defendants permitted and fostered a culture of hazing and abuse within the baseball program – a culture that, by the coaching staff’s own admission, manifested itself in violent misconduct on prior trips before the assault upon plaintiff,’ according to the lawsuit.
During a March trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the team competed in a game, the alleged victim claims that he was ‘forcibly attacked’ by his teammates.
‘Among other acts, teammates forcibly placed dirty underwear on Plaintiff’s face and physically accosted him,’ the lawsuit stated. ‘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.’
Assistant coach Robles is said to have informed the team that frequent room checks and supervision of the players would take place throughout the trip. However, the lawsuit claims that adequate supervision was not in place at the time of the incident.
‘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,’ the case states.
St. Joseph’s launched its own investigation into the incident, which allegedly corroborated the victim’s version of events with witness statements matching his claims.
Yet, according to the lawsuit, while head coach Caputo informed the alleged victim of the findings, he and the school allegedly failed to punish the perpetrators.
Instead, the suit alleges that the defendants attempt to coerce the plaintiff into taking responsibility for the encounter and ‘effectively destroyed Plaintiff’s collegiate athletic experience.’
Assistant coach Elliot Robles (pictured) and 30 teammates are named as defendants
The victim’s attorney Mike Della told Newsday that his client was ultimately the one who was suspended for the altercation.
Della said that his client is in the process of transferring schools following the end of his freshman year and could even walk away from baseball altogether over the ordeal.
St. Joseph’s University said that it was aware of the legal matter in a response to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.
‘While we take concerns raised by members of our community seriously, this matter is currently the subject of pending litigation,’ a spokesperson said. ‘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 Daily Mail has also sought comment from Caputo and Robles but did not receive an immediate response.
St. Joseph’s Student Handbook, which incorporates the university’s Code of Conduct, expressly prohibits hazing, including any behavior that places a student in danger or ‘demonstrates indifference or disregard for another person’s rights, dignity or well-being,’ the suit states.
It wasn’t the first instance of hazing occurring within the team, according to the lawsuit.
Caputo had allegedly told the plaintiff’s parents during the investigation that in a previous season, players had tried to kick down a hotel door.
‘Upon information and belief, on prior team trips, members of the baseball team also engaged in a practice of physically restraining and holding down teammates against their will, and such conduct was known within the baseball program,’ the lawsuit alleges.
