Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Vol. CLIV, Issue 6
Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Winston Investigation To Have Lasting Repercussions

On Dec. 5 Florida State Attorney Willie Megs decided not to press charges against Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston regarding accusations of sexual battery. The accusations stemmed from an incident in December 2012 in which Winston and an unnamed female had what is now believed to be consensual sex.

Winston has come to prominence with his spectacular playing this season in which he has led Florida State to an undefeated regular season and victory over Duke in the ACC Championship game. Florida State will now presumably play SEC champion Auburn for the National Championship in January. Winston is also the favorite to become the second first-year ever to win the Heisman Trophy.

Until Winston was officially cleared of all charges, questions surrounded Florida State’s future. It was unclear if the university or the NCAA would suspend Winston during the remainder of the investigation and subsequent trial. The investigation of events was expedited in an attempt to alleviate this inconvenience and reach a conclusion as soon as possible. Under Florida State rules, any student charged with a felony is immediately suspended from all athletics and their standing with the school is audited.

Winston’s potential suspension raised questions about whether Florida State deserved to be in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) championship game without their new superstar. On Thursday and then again on Saturday during the ACC championship game, it became clear that Winston and Florida State would be playing for the national title.

Many of the details of the case, some of which are more troubling than others, have been revealed. There was short-lived theory that police tried to dissuade the victim from pressing charges, but the official police report states that the victim chose to halt the investigation. The timing of the case’s reopening –– in the midst of an undefeated season 10 months after the events occurred –– also brought up some unsettling accusations about all parties. If police really did dissuade the victim from coming forward or if these accusations were less than sincere once Winston became a public icon, they show how frustrating the system is.

Winston has been labeled as a sexual deviant. Whether or not these accusations are serious, a young woman feels that she has been sexually abused. Both Winston and the victim will have to deal with this event for the rest of their lives, or at least in the foreseeable future. The young woman has withdrawn from classes as Florida State due to comments made by her classmates, and Winston will be remembered for this investigation through his college years and presumably long professional career. While Winston will continue to be publicly scrutinized, what is most important to remember is that a young woman has to deal with the aftermath of what she believes to be sexual

Sexual assault involving athletes is unfortunately not a new issue. Usually players plead to lesser charges and are removed from their football teams. However, very rarely are such prominent players accused in such a fashion, even players who have come to prominence after their brushes with the law, such as Louisiana State quarterback Zach Mettenberger. It will be interesting to see in the next few years how the football world and the rest of the public come to remember this investigation.

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