RALEIGH, N.C. — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by 31 former N.C. State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders filed Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple N.C. State athletics officials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was filed in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete filed in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics officials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission – a state agency that deals with workplace matters with N.C. State as a public university – rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plaintiffs to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who filed the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who filed their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plaintiffs in each lawsuit, filed to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025.

Murphy, at N.C. State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school officials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insufficient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins filed in April to dismiss former N.C. State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“N.C. State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

A new list from WorldAtlas named 13 North Carolina towns writers deemed the best places to live in the state in 2026 ― including two Western North Carolina locations.

Founded in 1994 by cartographer John Moen and his wife, Chris Woolwine-Moen, WorldAtlas publishes educational materials and articles on geography, sociology, demography, environment, economics, politics, and travel.

Previous Citizen Times articles have covered numerous mentions of Western N.C. from WorldAtlas, including the publication’s favorite North Carolina towns for 2026 visits, best day trips in the state, “idyllic” and “unpretentious” towns, scenic drives, towns that rival Europe’s finest and more.

From mountain landscapes to coastal access to quieter suburban neighborhoods, here’s where WorldAtlas writers chose.

Best places to live in North Carolina 2026

The full list of best places to live in North Carolina includes:

• Raleigh
• Charlotte
• Durham
• Apex
• Morrisville
• Asheville
• Winston-Salem
• Wilmington
• Boone
• Cary
• Greensboro
• Greenville
• Chapel Hill

Is Asheville, NC, a good place to live?

WorldAtlas called Asheville “an artsy mountain town that welcomes residents with a creative spirit and seemingly endless green spaces.” When it came to reasons why writers suggested it as one of the state’s best places to live, the following was cited:

• Outdoor recreation options that draw travelers from around the globe, from waterfalls to whitewater rapids.
• An escape from “the heat associated with much of the state” due to the area’s elevation.
• The River Arts District, including its art galleries and studios, breweries and historic buildings.

Is Boone, NC a good place to live?

WorldAtlas stated that making a home in the Appalachian Mountains means “waking up to the sight of rolling green hills out of your window.” Writers suggested Boone as one of the Tar Heel State’s best locations to live in 2026 because of the following:

The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Monday, June 8, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 8 drawing

03-24-34-43-49, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 8 drawing

Day: 0-0-6, Fireball: 7

Evening: 7-6-6, Fireball: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 8 drawing

Day: 0-9-4-6, Fireball: 0

Evening: 0-8-8-4, Fireball: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 5 numbers from June 8 drawing

05-10-28-33-35

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Double Play numbers from June 8 drawing

12-15-19-22-30

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 8 drawing

20-25-40-50-55, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:

• Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
• Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
• Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
• NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
• Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
• Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.

When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
• Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
• Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
• Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
• Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.