Years after allegations of locker-room misconduct emerged within the Penn State football program, former defensive back Isaiah Humphries suffered another legal setback in his case against Penn State University and former head coach James Franklin. On Thursday, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied Humphries’ request for a rehearing before the full court, dealing another blow to his ongoing lawsuit tied to allegations of harassment and misconduct within the program.

It has been a lengthy legal battle for the former Penn State defensive back, who continues to seek accountability for the allegations he made against the program. Humphries, who transferred to the University of California, Berkeley after his freshman season in 2018, alleged that upperclassmen orchestrated a “campaign to harass and haze” younger players. The 46-page lawsuit named teammates Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jesse Luketa, and Damion Barber as the primary instigators.

Humphries had appealed the September 24, 2021, judgment by Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann, which dismissed claims against Penn State University and former head coach James Franklin. Last month, a three-judge appellate panel upheld that decision, and now the full court has declined to revisit the matter.

The brief one-paragraph order did not address the substance of Humphries’ claims or explain the court’s reasoning in detail. In 2021, Judge Brann explained why he dismissed former head coach James Franklin and Penn State from the case.

“For whatever his (Humphries’) complaint possessed in attention-grabbing details, it lacked substance,” Brann stated.

Judge Brann had previously dismissed Humphries’ claims accusing Penn State and Franklin of retaliation, negligence, and failing to prevent hazing within the program. Much like the earlier appellate panel, the court ultimately sided with Penn State and Franklin, ruling that they did not have a legal duty to protect Humphries. The only remaining part of the lawsuit that Judge Brann allowed to proceed was a regular tort claim (negligence/assault) against former teammate Damion Barber. In May 2025, Humphries officially settled and dismissed his case against Barber with prejudice out of court, ending the trial phase.

But Humphries was vivid in his details of what he allegedly went through. In later depositions and an internal Title IX report made public via the lawsuit, a specific physical altercation between Humphries and future NFL star Micah Parsons was revealed. In March 2018, Parsons reportedly threw a bucket of water on a sleeping Humphries. Humphries responded by throwing Gatorade on Parsons. This escalated into a severe fight where Parsons allegedly choked Humphries. Humphries admitted to pulling out a pocket knife to force Parsons to stop.

Meanwhile, Penn State, James Franklin, and the accused players vehemently denied the allegations, characterizing the claims as “baseless” and attributing them to a disgruntled player angry over a lack of playing time.

Penn State’s Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response conducted an independent investigation. They stated that they interviewed numerous players who overwhelmingly denied the claims, describing locker room interactions as “clowning around” or standard horseplay. The Penn State Police forwarded their findings to the Centre County District Attorney, who reviewed the evidence and declined to file any criminal charges.

Further Details of the lawsuit

Isaiah Humphries sued the Penn State Nittany Lions football team in federal court in 2020. Former head coach James Franklin was among the defendants, along with some players who were allegedly involved.

The lawsuit filed by Humphries included the names of former Penn State players such as Damion Barber, Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Jesse Luketa. In the suit, Humphries stated that he had been hazed by Damion Barber and other athletes as part of their initiation into the football team at Penn State.

Humphries said the incidents he experienced in the locker room left him with serious emotional scars. He alleged that teammates physically restrained him, subjected him to abusive and humiliating acts, and dismissed the behavior as “locker-room culture.”

One of Humphries’ most disturbing allegations involved a fellow player allegedly telling him, “I am going to Sandusky you,” referencing the Jerry Sandusky abuse scandal at Penn State.

Humphries described several incidents in which older players allegedly forced younger teammates to the ground inside the locker room. Through the lawsuit, Humphries argued that the culture within the Penn State football program created an environment where younger players felt pressured to fit in and tolerate hazing behavior.

This case has dragged on for many years and most of the parties have moved on from Penn State. Even if we consider Humphries as someone who has overblown what he went through, there is still a conversation to be had about protections for younger players who enter a new program.