Colin Mullaney / Editor-in-Chief

Abigail Cavizo / Associate Editor

TW: This article discusses hazing and sexual assault.

Allegations of hazing against USD’s football program first emerged in August. However, new details about the allegations have now become public in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Quarterback AJ Perez, a transfer student from Utah Tech who joined USD’s football team this year. Perez alleges in the lawsuit filed Oct. 23 against USD that he was subjected to “negligence,” “hazing,” “violation of the Bane Act” and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

According to the 14-page lawsuit filed by Perez’s attorney, two separate hazing incidents reportedly occurred not long after the team arrived on campus for preseason training — the first “on or about August 9” and the second “on or about August 17.” 

In the first incident of Aug. 9, the lawsuit states, “players were required to get naked and press their genitals up against the window so the upperclassmen inside could see them naked.”

In the second incident on Aug. 17, the lawsuit states, “The upperclassmen required all ‘rookies’ to perform a routine naked and to include acts of a sexual nature in their performance… If the upperclassman did not approve of the routine, players would get ‘spooned’ where spoons would be thrown at them, or they would be hit… with a large wooden spoon… As [Perez] was desperately trying to avoid these attacks, he heard his underwear tear and felt several people grabbing him. He then tried to cover his genitals with a towel, which again was ripped off by other individuals.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune (U-T) published an article on Oct. 25 about the hazing allegations and lawsuit against USD but did not include the more graphic details of the lawsuit’s allegations. The USD Vista also opted not to include more graphic details.

Perez explained to the U-T his concerns at the time and how social pressure contributed to the situation:

“‘The pressure was so immense that I didn’t want to be excluded and not be part of the team and be looked at as an outcast,’ [Perez] said. ‘I’m a new player on the team. As a quarterback, you rely so much on other players to help you out. I didn’t want to be ostracized from the team,” the U-T reported.

According to the U-T, Perez has not been back to campus since the alleged Aug. 17 incident, except to “retrieve his personal belongings.” 

Further, the U-T reported, “Perez discussed a return to campus with school and team officials but was told the university couldn’t ‘guarantee’ his protection. Perez said he asked to complete the semester remotely via online classes but was not accommodated.” 

The lawsuit filed on Oct. 23 states that Perez was initially motivated to attend USD due to the USD coaching staff’s comments that he showed NFL prospect potential.

“In   2023,   he made the decision to transfer to the University of San Diego after discussion with USD coaches indicating that he was on a NFL track  to success,” the lawsuit states.

Since Perez has left the USD football team, the lawsuit says that he has lost potential playing and earning opportunities:

“Plaintiff AJ Perez has been unable to attend college and pursue a football career all to his damage for loss of earnings and loss of earnings capacity to be stated according to proof.”

Perez is quoted by the U-T as saying that he believes he is the only player from the team who is no longer participating in the football program:

“I’m the only one not playing football. I want to play football again. I want to be in school again. I just want to have a normal life again. It’s so upsetting. It’s been a lot,” Perez said, according to the U-T.

The lawsuit against USD also states that some members of USD’s coaching staff “knew or had reason to know or should have known about the hazing practices of the USD student organization, but took no steps to stop the hazing practices, thereby accepting, authorizing, participating in and/or ratifying the hazing,” the lawsuit states. 

The U-T reported that, “Perez said at least two alums on the coaching staff told him similar incidents happened when they played there,” according to their Oct. 25 article. 

Further, NBC 7 reported that, “the lawsuit [against USD] alleges USD’s head football coach Brandon Moore had ‘knowledge of many of these offending acts.’”

Coach Brandon Moore, who became Head Coach in April 2023 after the departure of Head Coach Dale Lindsey, denied prior knowing about the alleged hazing in a statement, also reported by NBC 7:

“I want to be clear that I had no prior knowledge at any level about these activities before they were  reported  to me by AJ Perez,” Moore said in his statement. “This was not anything I’d heard before and certainly doesn’t represent my vision for USD Football. The events reported to me were counter to the directive I issued to our players  and  coaches  about hazing not being tolerated in any shape or form in my first team meeting.”

USD    President   James T. Harris III made a  statement supporting Moore in an email addressed to the USD community on Oct. 26.

“I want to reiterate that Coach Moore had no advance knowledge of the alleged hazing… It was Coach Moore’s alarm and quick action that prompted the entire investigation,” Harris wrote in the email. 

Harris   made  a  similar comment and addressed further details at an Oct. 26 Associated Student Government (ASG) meeting,     described   in   a concurrent article of The USD Vista, below.

USD’s Public Relations department responded to USDtv/Student Media saying an inquiry is still under way and refused further comment.  

Ron Fowler, namesake of USD’s Fowler Park, told the U-T that he was “shocked and disgusted” by the news of the allegations against USD’s football program, saying “in my mind, the [consequences] should include any coaches who were aware of this behavior. They should throw the ringleaders out of the school.”

Since the news first broke about the hazing lawsuit against USD, former Athletic Director Bill McGillis announced he was departing from USD, addressed in an online article published by The USD Vista on  Nov. 2. He did not mention the lawsuit when he said that he was stepping away from USD to pursue “exciting new opportunities.” 

Photo Courtesy:

A lawsuit filed by former Quarterback alleges hazing by USD’ s football team.  Spencer Bispham/The USD Vista