| NEWS Sexual abuse allegations in the Penn State football program/locker room. "I'm going to Sandusky you."

Penn State football coach James Franklin told a player not to talk to police following a fight with a star linebacker in a 2018 incident that involved punching, choking and a knife being pulled, according to allegations contained in a university report obtained by ESPN.

The accusation by now-former Nittany Lions defensive back Isaiah Humphries is contained in a draft report that was part of a 2019 Title IX inquiry into sexual assault allegations in the Penn State locker room. The document sheds new light on the allegations that became public when Humphries sued the school early this year. The report, which does not include conclusions by investigators, contains interviews with dozens of football players, coaches and staff.

Humphries told investigators that, after his fight with linebacker Micah Parsons in March 2018, he met with Franklin in the coach's car outside the Lasch football building, according to the report. The investigator wrote: "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."
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Humphries told school investigators that Barber and Parsons threatened him, telling him they were "making me a b---- because this is prison" and that Barber said, "I'm gonna Sandusky you," referring to former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky. He also said they would try to place genitalia close to players' faces and simulate sex acts and attempt to touch him in the shower, according to the report. He said the three players would wrestle him to the ground while clad only in their towels.

One player interviewed in the report told investigators that Barber, while naked, overpowered a teammate smaller than him and simulated sex acts, targeting him almost daily. The player said he didn't see Barber do that to Humphries and, in his statement, questioned Humphries' character, saying he lies for no reason, the investigator wrote in the report. The teammate who was said to have been targeted also spoke to investigators and said he was wrestled to the ground by Barber but that they were both "always fully clothed" and no one took it seriously.

Another player said Barber would dance around in the locker room naked, chase guys and give them hugs while he was naked or in tub shorts, the investigator wrote in the report. He also said he saw Barber wrestle and simulate a sex act with a teammate. On one occasion, that player said, Barber mimicked masturbation, the investigator wrote. Humphries described similar incidents. The player did not say whether he ever saw Humphries targeted by Barber and said he wasn't aware of any issues involving Humphries and other teammates.

 
I don't generally like to invite the man into my life. But if you're going to tell me NOT to talk to the cops because so-and-so is a star player, then you bet your ass I'm going to be talking to the cops.

Fuck you and your star player. What makes him better than me? Just because he's a star player? How about a level playing field, asshole?
 
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