WILLIAMSPORT – The civil trial for the remaining defendant sued by a former Penn State football player who claims he was sexually harassed in the locker room likely will not occur until 2024.
Isaiah Humphries claims in an unopposed motion filed Monday in U.S. Middle District court that he needs a 90-day extension to complete discovery.
If granted by U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann, the trial in which another former player Damion Barber is the lone defendant will not occur until March 2024.
The current schedule calls for discovery to be completed by Feb. 7 but the filing notes depositions have yet to be scheduled of Humphries, Barber and six material witnesses.
The depositions have been delayed because of scheduling constraints of the attorneys and parties, document states.
Barber, who transferred to Austin Peay in 2020, is the only remaining defendant because Brann in September 2021 removed the university and head football coach James Franklin.
In granting their motions for dismissal, the judge wrote: “For whatever his [Humphries’] complaint possessed in attention-grabbing details, it lacked in substance.”
He rejected the claim the university and Franklin had a duty to protect Humphries.
Brann has refused to allow an appeal of the decision to remove the university and Franklin since claims against Barber remain active.
Humphries, a former Texas high school star who transferred to the University of California after the 2020 season, claims in his suit he was harassed by four fellow players his freshman year.
He identifies them as Barber, Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jesse Luketa. Barber was the only one sued.
Last August, Brann ruled Penn State’s 2019 investigative report into Humphries’ allegations would not be made public.
That report contains information from interviews with approximately two dozen students that extended beyond what they knew about interactions between Humphries and Barber, the judge pointed out.
A draft version of the report was shared with Humphries and Barber so they could write responses. Written instructions prohibited them from keeping or copying the document.
The university claimed Humphries disregarded those instructions and took pictures of it.
More:
Violation of policies was reason Penn State administrator was fired, judge rules
Woman who lost job in Shop-Vac shutdown seeks class action certification
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here