A former college football player says he was harassed and brutally attacked by a teammate who thought he was gay, and that the team’s coaches not allowed the abuse to continue, but gave him the worst advice imaginable.
In a federal lawsuit, John Haynes describes the intensely homophobic environment he endured while playing at Troy University in Alabama. He alleges that fellow player Jack Dawson, with whom he also shared a living suite, tormented him during their time as teammates.
Dawson’s list of alleged abuses is harrowing — it includes verbal assaults, physical beatings, and forced sodomy. He’s now facing multiple counts of assault after turning himself into authorities Monday.
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The attacks allegedly occurred during the fall of 2020. In one horrifying encounter, Dawson allegedly sodomized Hayes with a pool cue and left him bleeding on the floor. The suit describes another instance in which Dawson allegedly punched Hayes seven times in the face, resulting in a broken nose.
The suit also lists three Troy coaches — Brian Blackmon, Jamaal Smith, and Dayne Brown — as defendants. Haynes says when he appealed to the coaches for help, they blamed him for the abuse and told him to fight back.
In a shocking description of a 2020 meeting with the three coaches, Haynes recalls Smith telling him:
“John, you gotta stop doing all this gay sh*t like getting into bed with other guys and being so nice. Guys don’t like that gay sh*t. That’s why Jack and others are bullying you so you just gotta beat Jack’s a**.”
Related: Gay baseball player Bryan Ruby describes “hyper-masculine” locker room experience after coming out
Jacksonville’s CBS 42 reports that Smith continues to work at Troy University, according to its website.
Haynes also says that when he asked to change suites to get away from Dawson, his request was denied.
The lawsuit alleges Title IX violations, sexual harassment, discrimination, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Haynes is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
CatholicXXX
Seems like a valid complaint.
Any pics of the guy?
Kangol2
Google “Jack Dawson Troy University.” Easier than typing out your comment.
You’ll have to go to Troy University’s 2020 football roster to see a photo of “Peter Haynes,” a “long snapper” from Georgia, whom I presume is the “John Haynes” listed above.
Velvetalex
Why does it matter what he looks like? I think he’s attractive but that’s beside the point. The rapist is a pointy nosed, ugly, cretin.
Diplomat
As a victim of violent sexual abuse by an adult male family member twice my size, you can’t fight back. But you can sue if the statute of limitations is in your favor, no matter how awful it sounds. It’s your duty to yourself God and country. Stand up for yourself. Sue sue sue.
bachy
Good God, what a horrible, savage situation! The roommate is a psychopath!
Brian
“Fight back” isn’t legitimate advice. The *initial* assault was a crime. Fighting back doesn’t somehow render the first assault not a crime anymore.
That piece of trash should’ve been deported already. Why was a foreigner allowed to stay while his nearly year-old arrest warrant just sat there? The cops should be investigated too.
monty clift
“forced sodomy” WTF He was raped. That POS Dawson should be in jail.
PoetDaddy
And then prison. That way he can find out just how “forced sodomy” feels.
scotty
sounds on brand for “alabamastan.” if only you had used an only early in the article. still needs one just fyi.
Fahd
The perpetrator is a punter, a skinny 6’3″ guy. He must have had some help to be that brutal. Also, I think the police have just charged him with misdemeanors. Why? A few of those incidents sound like felonies to me.
Troy University should be ashamed of themselves for so many alleged adults in positions of duty of care letting these assaults continue. Also, where’s the NCAA on this?
If the allegations are proven, the perpetrator needs to be deported after serving his sentence. And Troy, a university that aspires to greater recognition, better get ready to change and to PAY.
marxist_homo
“Forced sodomy” of a college football player with a pool cue by his roommate, who he continued to live with — and then two years later he sues the “roommate”!? Nothing about that story is believable.
KyleMichelSullivan
What an ignorant comment, deliberately ignoring the details in the CBS story.
Godabed
Only on one point do I agree with the coaches, and that he needed to beat that dude’s a**. My mother taught me at a very young age you can’t let people think they have power over you. I had a bully once, and walking away only emboldened him to keep pushing me. Until I beat his a**. He never did it again. Once they start bullying, they won’t stop of their own accord. When the reality sets in that they don’t have power over you and you fight back that’s when it stops.
BIPOC mostly don’t expect a system that will work for them, so kudos it seems to be working for Jason. The internalized homophobia in sports just needs to die.
Gadfeal
1. Sounds like Mr. Dawson is a repressed homosexual.
2. I remember I was sharing a room for a summer elective in SFO and, when I came back a bit tipsy from a dinner party, I sat on my roommates bed. He had a hissy fit and declared that he couldn’t “get away from the gays”, and promptly left. I was so young, I thought I did something taboo. Since that day, I have NEVER allowed myself to get drunk in public.
Ken A.
That Dawson guy is cute. He probably wanted a BJ and couldn’t understand why his roomie HAYNES wouldn’t give him one. The coaches advice eh, sensitivity training for them.
Kangol2
I understand that Peter/John Haynes was traumatized but I wish he’d called the cops after one or other of these violent incidents, in order to force the football team and its coaches to deal with Dawson’s abusive behavior, and, as people are stating, potentially have that creep shipped back to Australia. (Strangely Queerty’s article doesn’t mention that Dawson is an Australian visa holder studying–or at least play college sports–in the US). It’s unconscionable that Dawson is still here and now playing for another team after his violent abuse of Haynes, and the entire coaching staff who dismissed Haynes’s complaints needs to be sent packing, ASAP.