PSU's 0-5 record may be the least of James Franklin’s problems. The program is now mired in a Title IX investigation alleging sexual abuse, obstruction of justice, which could be part of the problem

James Franklin: Getty Images

… criminal allegations more troublesome than the worst record in 134 years

Earlier this year, James Franklin appeared to be on top of the world — and then it came crashing down in spectacular fashion. The coach just signed a new six-year contract with Penn State that carried him through the 2025 season. 

Franklin will earn $5.4 million this year with some bonuses that could bump that up despite his team’s 0-5 start to the 2020 season. The entire deal was worth $38.2 million.

Then 48-years-of-age, Franklin appeared to be set for life. 

After all, while he has yet to get the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff, he has demonstrated great recruiting skills that could get them there in the future. 

Then the coronavirus hit and his family had to move from State College because of the health problems of one of their daughters. Then the team had to play without spectators, leading to the loss of tens of millions of dollars by the university. Then the school asked him to take a 10 percent pay cut, which he refused. And then the unbelievable 0-5 start to a season in which is started out ranked number eight in the country. 

However, underneath all of that has been a realization that part of that 0-5 start may be due to the fact that he had no control over his locker room. He is being sued and is now accused of obstruction of justice because of alleged sexual problems caused by some of his best players. Then, he is alleged to have asked one of the players to lie about what had happened. 

Sandusky returns

Just when Penn State appeared to be moving away from the devastating effects of the Jerry Sandusky era, allegations of sexual improprieties in the locker room have been dogging the programs for the past two years. 

And one of the major people involved is no longer part of that program, but these allegations could affect the draft status of their most talented player, linebacker Micah Parsons, who decided to not play this season because of Covid. 

So, while the fact that the team has fallen to 0-5 for the first time in its 134-year history is devastating to Nittany Lion fans and is forcing fans to acknowledge that the only way out of this may be firing Franklin, that will not be likely unless these legal problems become so problematic that the school has cause. 

The AP story from February about Franklin’s contract extension ended with this proviso,

Franklin is 56-23 in six seasons at Penn State, including 34-18 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have gone 11-2 with a New Year’s Six Bowl victory in three of the last four seasons.

If Franklin leaves Penn State for an NFL or college job during 2020, he would owe the university $5 million. His buyout drops by $1 million each year.

If he is fired without cause, Penn State owes Franklin the current year’s guaranteed compensation times the remaining length of the contract.

“Penn State gives James Franklin new six-year deal,” Associated Press, February 26, 2020

However, what is unwritten is that if he is fired with cause, the damage to Penn State will be minimal. 

Title IX investigation

Penn State was ravaged by the U.S. Department of Education after the Sandusky scandal because of its violation of a variety of laws under Title IX, the signature educational amendment from the 1970s that guaranteed equal access to college athletics by men and women and by people of different backgrounds. 

Now, a new Title IX investigation was started because of some of the actions of star players who engaged in behavior that involved sexual references and behavior,

On Monday, former Nittany Lions player Isaiah Humphries filed a federal lawsuit against the university, coach James Franklin and ex-teammate Damion Barber. The suit alleges that Humphries was subject to hazing brought on by Barber, linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and linebacker Jesse Luketa and that the coaching staff was aware of it and did not protect Humphries …

In the suit, Humphries said that players including Parsons and Carolina Panthers DE Yetur Gross-Matos “electively orchestrated, participated in, directed and or facilitated a campaign to harass and haze lower classmen members of the Penn State football team including the plaintiff” …

The allegations include instances when the named players collectively orchestrated, directed and facilitated a campaign to harass and haze underclassmen on the team. The hazing alleged in the suit includes the participants stating that they intended to make the underclassmen "their b---- because this is a prison." The participants allegedly referenced former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky -- who is serving a 30- to 60-year prison term for sexually abusing children -- by saying, "I am going to Sandusky you."

The alleged actions included wrestling underclassmen to the ground while maintaining restraint, simulating a "humping" action; wrestling underclassmen to the ground while another participant placed his genitals on the face of underclassmen; and instances of the participants placing their genitals on the buttocks of the alleged victims and stroking their genitalia.

Tom VanHaaren, “DA explains why no charges were filed in 

Penn State hazing case,” ESPN, January 16, 2020

Now allegations of lying

The first part of this is that Humphries may not be the best witness, but there are apparently other players interviewed as part of the Title IX investigation by the university who corroborate part of this — particularly the hazing part, if not all of Humphries’ allegations.

The result of this was a fight between Parsons and Humphries, one that led Franklin, according to the player, to ask him to lie about it,

A former Penn State player alleges that coach James Franklin told him not to tell police about an alleged fight to help protect linebacker Micah Parsons.

Isaiah Humphries sued the school in January after he transferred to Cal. In his suit, he claims that multiple allegations of hazing were reported to Penn State’s coaches and nothing happened. In a report published Friday by ESPN, Humphries also said that Franklin wanted him to keep quiet about an alleged conflict with Parsons that involved Humphries pulling a knife.

Like with his lawsuit, Penn State said that the claims made by Humphries are baseless.

According to ESPN, Humphries’ hard to decipher tale of the conversation with Franklin is contained in a draft Title IX report from 2019 associated with Humphries’ accusations of hazing.

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."

Nick Bromberg, “Ex-Penn State player claims James Franklin said to not tell police that the 

player pulled knife on Micah Parsons,” Yahoo Sports, November 20, 2020

The worst of the players was tackle Damion Barber, who like Parsons was from Harrisburg. Barber transferred to Austin Peay last summer. 

Conclusion

This is far more complicated than I can get into in a short post. However, the one point that is evident is that Franklin appears to have lost control of the program. He has been a great recruiter, but the quality of some of those players may be catching up to him. 

When illegalities like obstruction of justice, which is what Humphries is alleging in his latest suit, are alleged, Franklin’s reputation as a coach is on the line. He can run away from 0-5, but he will have difficulty with a Title IX investigation by his own school — to say nothing of what will happen when federal authorities come in and take over, which is what will now happen.