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Editorial: End special treatment of FSU football players

 
Published Nov. 26, 2014

The Tallahassee Police Department has learned nothing from its series of flawed investigations involving Florida State University football players. New reporting shows that last month two FSU football players walked away from a hit-and-run car crash with only minor traffic tickets. Police failed to conduct a thorough investigation. And instead of investigating, FSU president John Thrasher pivoted to defense and criticized the news report. Changing a culture with a bias toward football will be difficult, but the Tallahassee police and the university cannot condone one policy for football players and another for everyone else.

The New York Times reported how two FSU football players were involved in a hit-and-run crash in the early morning of Oct. 5. Cornerbacks P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby slammed into the car of 18-year-old Ian Keith, who was on his way home from work. Both cars were totaled. While Keith waited for police to arrive, Williams, who had been driving with a suspended license, and Darby ran. About 20 minutes later, the football players returned. Before their arrival, an officer had determined the crash was a hit and run. But upon learning about the football players' involvement, officers downgraded the offense and wrote tickets. Officers did not conduct sobriety tests or ask the men why they had fled.

The October incident is the latest example of FSU football players receiving preferential treatment. With few exceptions, the police failed to bring charges against the players, even though the evidence warranted a closer look. The incidents range from allegations of domestic violence to accusations of property damage stemming from long-running BB and pellet gun fights. The most notable incident involved quarterback Jameis Winston, who was accused in 2013 of sexually assaulting another student. The accuser initially told police that she did not know her attacker's name. But she identified him as an FSU football player. The TPD's investigation was so sloppy that when Winston eventually was named a suspect, prosecutors lacked the evidence to make a case against him. Winston went on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead FSU to a national championship, and the university has yet to conduct a disciplinary hearing as another undefeated season plays out.

Tallahassee police have a responsibility to enforce the law without exhibiting preferential treatment or bias toward college athletes. Despite assurances that it operates fairly, the hit-and-run crash shows that the department has yet to learn that lesson.

Thrasher released a statement to FSU boosters discounting the New York Times' reporting on the hit-and-run crash. But he failed to hold the student-athletes responsible for leaving the scene of the crash. The new university president should lead the charge for better behavior, accountability and transparency among all students, especially those who line up on the football field.