A former Clemson women’s soccer player has sued her former coach, several school officials and 14 of her former teammates in connection to injuries she alleges she suffered during a hazing incident in 2011. Haley Ellen Hunt’s lawsuit, which was filed in Pickens County, S.C., on Aug. 15 claims she was blindfolded and stuffed in the trunk of a car, forced to perform “humiliating and demeaning acts,” and then sent sprinting into a brick wall, where she suffered injuries that ultimately forced her to quit playing soccer, according to GreenvilleOnline.com.
Another report on the lawsuit by FitNews says that although Hunt was just one of several players to be hazed, she alleges she was specifically targeted by coach Eddie Radwanski. Hunt alleges she was recruited by Radwanski’s predecessor and the new coach tried to convince Hunt not to enroll at Clemson. Hunt enrolled anyway, which the suit alleges was the reason Radwanski called for the hazing.
On Aug. 18, 2011, Hunt and several fellow freshman were allegedly abducted by their Clemson teammates and driven around town in the trunk of a car while wearing blindfolds. Once they reached the soccer field, the players were allegedly ordered out of the car, spun around and instructed run at full speed.
Blindfolded and disoriented, Hunt eventually ran face first into a brick wall, according to FitNews’ retelling of the lawsuit (pdf):
“The momentum of Ms. Hunt’s collision with the brick wall threw her body backward, causing her to smash into a nearby table and fall to the ground,” the lawsuit states. “The players heard Ms. Hunt scream and observed her clench her bloody face. One player described the sound of Ms. Hunt hitting the brick wall as ‘metal hitting metal.’ The impact with the brick wall caused Ms. Hunt to sustain serious injuries to her brain, head, face and hands. Ms. Hunt was knocked unconscious and had to be physically assisted by other players.”
The suit alleges that assistant coach Siri Mullinix was called in to help and that she advised the players not to tell anyone. Those instructions were allegedly repeated by Radwanski. At no point in the immediate aftermath was Hunt ever given medical treatment, the lawsuit states. The school’s athletic department allegedly never took any actions against the team, but Clemson’s Office of Community and Ethical Standards did its own investigation that resulted in the team being put on disciplinary probation in December 2012.
Although Hunt apparently remained on the team, the suit alleges that the injuries she sustained were never properly treated, forcing her to quit last November.
Both FitNews and GreenvilleOnline said they requested comment from the school, but were told to refer questions to their attorneys.