A former St. Joseph’s University baseball player has filed a lawsuit against the university, head coach Thomas Caputo, assistant coach Elliot Robles and 30 unidentified teammates, claiming he was subjected to hazing, bullying and physical abuse while on the team. The lawsuit was filed on Monday and was first reported by the Daily Mail. According to court filings reviewed by the outlet, the former player alleges he was humiliated, physically attacked and left fearing for his safety during his freshman year. The university has denied the allegations and said it will respond through the legal process.
What the lawsuit alleges against Thomas Caputo, Elliot Robles and the St. Joseph’s baseball program?
The lawsuit describes what it calls a long-running culture of hazing inside the St. Joseph’s baseball program. The former player, who was 18 at the time and is not being publicly identified, claims coaches and university officials failed to stop behavior that had allegedly become common within the team.According to the filing, one incident involved players being pressured to remove their clothes and stand in front of teammates while covering themselves only with a plastic cup. The plaintiff says he refused, although the lawsuit claims other players gave in to the pressure.The complaint argues that university staff knew about troubling behavior within the program before the alleged assault took place. It accuses the defendants of allowing a culture of hazing, bullying and intimidation to continue unchecked.The lawsuit also includes claims of negligence, negligent supervision of student-athletes and negligent hiring, retention and supervision of coaching staff.
Former player says Myrtle Beach trip ended in alleged assault as university denies claims
The most serious allegation centers on a March team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where St. Joseph’s was playing games.According to the lawsuit, the player was allegedly attacked by teammates during the trip. The filing states that dirty underwear was forced onto his face and that he was physically confronted by other players. The plaintiff claims he felt threatened and tried to defend himself, leading to a physical altercation.The lawsuit says assistant coach Elliot Robles had told players there would be regular room checks and supervision during the trip. However, the complaint argues that those measures were not properly carried out and that coaches failed to provide adequate oversight despite allegedly knowing about previous incidents involving team members.The filing further claims St. Joseph’s later conducted its own investigation. According to the lawsuit, witness statements supported the player’s account of what happened. The plaintiff alleges that head coach Thomas Caputo informed him of those findings but that no meaningful action was taken against the teammates involved.Instead, the lawsuit claims the player was pressured to accept responsibility for the incident. Attorney Mike Della told Newsday that his client ultimately ended up being suspended after the altercation.Della also said the former player is transferring schools after completing his freshman year and may choose not to continue playing baseball.In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, St. Joseph’s University said it is aware of the lawsuit.“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 Daily Mail reported that Caputo and Robles did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
