A former St. Joseph’s University baseball player has filed a lawsuit alleging hazing, physical assault and negligent supervision by teammates and coaches during a team trip in March.
The complaint, filed in a New York court, names the university, head coach Thomas Caputo, assistant coach Elliot Robles and 30 unidentified teammates as defendants, accusing them of a pattern of misconduct that includes humiliation, bullying and violent altercations.
The Myrtle Beach Incident
According to the filing, the plaintiff was pressured to strip naked and stand exposed before his teammates, a demand he refused, and that on March 5 he was forcibly attacked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where teammates placed dirty underwear on his face and physically accosted him.
The lawsuit claims that despite assurances from Robles that adequate supervision would be in place, the environment remained unsupervised, allowing the assault to unfold without intervention.
An internal investigation later corroborated the victim’s account, but the aggressors were not disciplined, while the plaintiff himself was suspended, a disparity that the suit highlights as part of a broader institutional failure.
The complaint further alleges that similar incidents had occurred in prior seasons, citing episodes such as attempts to kick down a hotel door, suggesting a systemic problem within the baseball program.
University officials have acknowledged receipt of the suit but declined to comment, citing pending litigation, a stance that has drawn criticism from advocacy groups focused on campus safety and athlete welfare.
Legal analysts note that the case could set a precedent for holding collegiate athletic programs accountable when supervisory failures lead to abuse, and the plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages to address both physical and emotional injuries.