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- A former Kansas football player named Caperton Humphrey claims the school tried to cover up harassment he experienced from his teammates
- Then KU head coach Les Miles reportedly turned a blind eye on the matter, and told the players to work it out between themselves
- Humphrey claims teammates took the harassment to extremes, even saying lug nuts on his car wheel were loosened at one point during his days on campus
The Kansas football team has undergone some serious changes in the past six months or so, with the team mutually agreeing to part ways with head coach Les Miles over allegations stemming from his time at LSU years ago. Although the Miles allegations didn’t happen in Lawrence, it was still a black eye on the school and football program.
Months after trying to put out the fire regarding Miles, there’s a new incident that’s making news related to the Kansas football team. This time, it involves former player Caperton Humphrey, who claims the university offered to pay him $50,000 plus benefits to stay quiet relating to harassment from teammates that he had reported as a student-athlete.
According to the Kansas City-Star, Humphrey — who played for the Jayhawks’ football team in 2017 and 2018 — says the school did little to end threats and harassment from his teammates, despite several incidents being reported.
At one point, Caperton Humphrey claims someone loosened lug nuts on his car tires enough to make the wheel wobble. When he reported the incident to police, no arrest was made due to lack of evidence. And when the former KU player approached school officials about the incident — as well as seeing other players selling drugs at nearby campus apartments — nothing was done. In fact, the former player says Les Miles instead suggested the players work it out between themselves, rather than taking action himself.
Some of the details of Humphrey’s alleged harassment are frightening.
Per the Kansas City-Star:
Moments after the men charged into his apartment, Caperton Humphrey remembered the baseball bat in his bedroom.
If they came at him — and Humphrey believed he saw the imprint of a pistol in one man’s jogging pants — he needed a plan to fight back.
For months, four of these men had been his teammates on the Kansas Jayhawks football team. Now they and about a half-dozen others were in Humphrey’s living room, threatening him, his father Jamie, and even Caperton’s 15-year-old brother. Seconds later, Jamie Humphrey dialed 911, putting his phone on speaker before setting it on a counter.
…
The final resolution: KU’s athletic department agreeing to pay him more than $50,000 in benefits to go home after he reported threats and harassment from teammates.
“They bought him off. That’s what they did,” Jamie Humphrey told The Star. “They bought him off to keep his mouth shut.”
The Star reported details of the proposed deal between KU and Caperton Humphrey as well.
- If the player left Kansas and took online classes in West Virginia, and he and his family agreed to stay quiet about the previous harassment, he would continue to be paid his tuition and monthly stipend money from spring 2019 through graduation in 2020
- The document specifically stated that the Humphreys “understand and agree they will not make or publish, directly or indirectly, any materially negative comments verbally or in writing, on social media or in any other forum” about KU and KU Athletics employees “that might cause an individual to reasonably question the integrity, quality, character, competence or diligence of the University of Kansas, its Athletic Department, or its administrators, coaches, faculty and/or staff.”
- The total value of Caperton’s tuition in the offer would be about $28,000, and stipend checks would roughly be $1,289 per month also would add up to $18,331.20, per an email sent to Jamie by KU’s assistant athletic director for student services.
- The family would also be reimbursed 58 cents per mile for the trip back to West Virginia, and Caperton’s meals, lodging and transportation would be paid for, along with the shipping of his personal belongings — which could be around $5,000.
Naturally, the Kansas football team remained silent regarding the allegations. Likewise, the school’s AD, Jeff Long, as well as Les Miles’ representatives did not respond to a request by the Kansas City-Star regarding the story.
“Les Miles and Jeff Long swept this under the rug and tried to buy our silence,” Jamie Humphrey (Caperton’s dad) said. “This is how they operated while representing Kansas.”
Given the seriousness of the threats and harassment, the former Kansas football player has battled depression and began seeing a psychiatrist to help him recover emotionally. The family is considering next steps against the university, which includes a possible lawsuit for presenting such a bribe.