Florida State case unneeded distraction for Penn State
After a Florida State University freshman reported she had been raped in December 2012, the prime suspect was identified as star quarterback Jameis Winston, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead the Seminoles to a national championship.
Winston was never charged. The police claim it was due to lack of evidence, though there was plenty, including DNA, witnesses, and a secretly recorded video of a portion of the incident. Yet according to an exhaustive and damning New York Times report by Pulitzer Prize winner Walt Bogdanich, "there was virtually no investigation at all, either by the police or the university."
Why does this matter to Penn State? Because Eric Barron, who was Florida State's president at the time, has been named the next leader of the Pennsylvania school, which has already been battered by a scandal over sexual abuse that went ignored by administrators. Penn State is the last school that needs another such blemish.
Asked about his role in investigating the rape charge in February, Barron said, "It's incredibly important that an institution follow due process."