Penn State football coach James Franklin discouraged former Nittany Lions defensive back Isaiah Humphries from reporting to police an altercation between Humphries and Micah Parsons in March 2018, according to an ESPN story published Friday.
The documents obtained by ESPN were part of a Title IX inquiry into sexual assault allegations within the Penn State football program. They shed further light on a lawsuit filed earlier this year on behalf of Humphries against Penn State, Franklin and defensive tackle Damion Barber. The suit also identified linebackers Parsons and Jesse Luketa and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos as the leaders of hazing efforts.
In response to the ESPN story, Penn State released this statement Friday:
"Penn State diligently works to foster a community of safety and security for its students and student-athletes, so that they may participate freely in the academic and athletic opportunities the University offers," the statement read. "We're disappointed that ESPN has chosen to rehash a series of allegations that have remained unsubstantiated despite being investigated thoroughly through the University's established processes for responding to claims of misconduct and by the Penn State police.
"Coach Franklin never instructed Mr. Humphries to avoid contacting authorities. The court has twice rejected Mr. Humphries' complaints, and despite his continued revisions, previously dismissed the claims against Coach Franklin in their entirety. We believe the claims relating to Coach Franklin have no merit, and we will continue to defend him vigorously."
According to ESPN, Humphries alleged that Parsons poured water on him, and he responded by pouring Gatorade on Parsons, who punched him. After being choked by Parsons, Humphries admitted to pulling out a pocket knife to get him to stop, the report said. According to ESPN, Humphries' father, former Penn State player Leonard Humphries, spoke to Franklin following the fight.
"(Franklin is) on the phone saying, 'Where did (Isaiah) get a (expletive) knife? I can't control the (expletive) situation,' " Leonard Humphries told ESPN in reference to a conversation with Franklin. "'Now the police are going to get involved.' "
Franklin and two assistant coaches met with Humphries two days after the fight, according to the report, and Isaiah Humphries said Franklin told him, "you should have just gotten you're a— beat and not pulled a knife." ESPN also reported that, according to a complaint, "Mr. Humphries added that coach Franklin came and said, 'Don't talk to the police because Micah is his start (sic) player and makes money, so if he gets in trouble, he's gone,' meaning Mr. Humphries would be gone."
Humphries told ESPN he never spoke with police, and ESPN reported that Parsons was on probation from May to December 2018.
Of the four players named in the initial lawsuit filed in January, Luketa, a junior linebacker, is the only player currently at Penn State. Humphries transferred to Cal last year and Barber transferred to Austin Peay. Parsons opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft, while Gross-Matos was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers early this year.
According to ESPN, Luketa told investigators he and Humphries had "verbal confrontations" but never fought. Penn State declined to make Luketa available for an interview with ESPN.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in January that the initial complaint also includes graphic details of perpetrators exposing their genitalia on and near the faces and bodies of others. Among other things, perpetrators were alleged to have wrestled victims to the ground and made humping actions while on top of them, stolen victims' clothes and placed their genitalia on victims while in the team showers.
