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Lawsuit: St. Joe's softball rookies forced to drink, simulate sex

A lawsuit filed by a former member of the women's varsity softball team at St. Joe's alleges she was forced to simulate sex acts, drink alcohol and engage in other disturbing behavior.

St. Joseph's University earlier this month suspended play for its women's varsity softball team for the rest of the season, amid allegations of hazing and bullying.

The Catholic university on Philadelphia's Main Line at that time declined to detail those allegations.

A lawsuit filed this week by a former player does just that - in excrutiating detail, some of it so vile that you won't read it here.

Upperclassmen, the suit said, in both 2013 and 2014 forced freshmen to drink alcohol and simulate sexual acts as well as engage in what could be considered dangerous behavior.

The plaintiff, who is identified only as a 20-year-old Jane Doe from outside Pennsylvania, said in the suit she was forced to "hold a plank position in the middle of Church Road with traffic." She was locked in a car until she drank a baby bottle filled with ketchup, hot sauce, mustard and other kitchen items, according to the suit. And she was forced to drink jello shots even after she informed upperclassmen that she was on medication and didn't want to drink, the suit said.

What's more, the alleged abuse occurred over a period of years and university employees including Head Coach Terri Adams, who is named as a defendant, knew about it and did nothing to stop it, according to the suit. Teammates called the plaintiff names and said she was gay and "should come out of the closet," the suit said. Adams name called, too, referring to the plaintiff as "Sippy" and "Sippy S--- in Pants," according to the suit.

The plaintiff became so despondent that her grades suffered and she dropped out of school this spring, the suit said.

St. Joseph's said Thursday that the university continues to investigate the sexual misconduct charges against students, and an external evaluator is looking into the allegations against Adams and other staff. Its investigation into hazing and bullying, spokesman Joe Lunardi said, has been completed and resulted in the team suspension.

The Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie, university president, issued a statement to the university community, saying it would respond "promptly and appropriately" to hazing "as I believe we have in this matter…." The university, he said, also is guided by an "interim sexual misconduct policy and a policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Adams could not be reached for comment. A woman who answered the phone in her office said she was not in and refused to take a message.

Lunardi said Adams remains employed as the head softball coach.

The suit filed in federal court on Wednesday detailed how the plaintiff was recruited by St. Joe's coaches. Adams, the suit said, told the plaintiff that the university is a "wholesome environment where plaintiff would be looked after, safe and secure." She was offered a full athletic scholarship and enrolled in fall 2013. After arriving, she was told by team members that freshmen would be initiated and hazed, the suit said.

The hazing, the suit said, started with letters from upperclassmen to freshmen with "inappropriate sexually charged harassment."

One wrote: "Freshmeat, you may have thought that you were part of this team from the moment you walked onto the field…You are scum, low level swine…This is your deliverance week, a time to realize your place, the lowest rung on the totem pole! …You must make it through this week in order to fully understand the bond we have as teammates." The upperclassmen then wrote a sexually explicit statement regarding Adams.

The plaintiff alleged that she was forced to simulate sex acts including, being forced "to dress up as a male rapper, squat on top of another freshman and simulate sexual intercourse in front of the entire team." She also was forced to perform a sexually lewd dance, referred to as the "Jersey Turnpike" in front of an upperclassman.

A video of her dancing to Lady Gaga was uploaded to Snapchat without her permission, the suit alleges.

She also was forced to read a letter in front of the team "declaring her worthlessness."

The plaintiff said other freshmen were abused, too, and that one student required emergency room treatment after being forced to drink.

After the hazing was reported by news outlets this spring, the plaintiff faced further harassment by teammates. Adams, the suit said, advised her players "to plead the fifth" if asked about the hazing.

The plaintiff's mother complained to Adams in early 2015 after becoming concerned about her daughter's mental state, the suit said. Adams, according to the mother as stated in the suit, said she would look out for misconduct and promised things would get better.

They didn't, the suit said.