Florida State QB Deondre Francois is now a former Florida State QB.
That’s because over this weekend, a woman posted video on her Instagram account of Francois allegedly threatening to beat her and possibly hitting her.
This video ( listen to the audio) is allegedly #FloridaState QB Deondre Francois threatening to beat his girlfriend and potentially hitting her pic.twitter.com/bzam4koXEc
— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) February 3, 2019
Florida State coach Willie Taggart then announced Sunday that he had kicked Francois off the team. This is what everyone would expect based on the video if that actually is Francois’ voice on the recording. Of course, that didn’t keep some biased towards Florida State from patting Taggart on the back.
Coach Taggart just did something a lot of coaches or programs would never do. He placed character over winning. Proud to see him take this stance. #Noles
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) February 3, 2019
But did that decision really show character? Or did he just have to finally make a decision after an inflammatory video was made public?
The quote in Taggart’s statement that caught my attention was the following:
As we build a new culture and foundation for FSU Football, we have high expectations for all of our student-athletes and we will not shy away from those high standards of conduct. We are moving forward as a program.
FSU is moving forward as a program. They are doing so without Deondre Francois. But did they actually accomplish anything worthwhile by doing so?
Consider part of the statement posted on Instagram by Francois’ alleged victim:
I thought I loved him and thought he could change for the better but it has gotten worse. I lost my first child because of all of the beating and I suffer from post Partum depression. This situation is taking a toll on my life. Yes, I stayed after that because I was stupid and blinded by love.
That’s just heartbreaking.
If true, a woman has been getting abused for more than two years, and has not wanted to report it because she loved her abuser. That isn’t an uncommon occurrence in these types of situations.
This isn’t even the first time the police have been involved between these two. A previous incident in January of 2018 led to this quote from the alleged victim to an officer who responded to the scene.
She advised me she did not want Francois to get in ‘trouble trouble’, but she did want me to speak with him and scare him a little.
Look. I get why Willie Taggart kicked Deondre Francois off the team. If these allegations are true, then that’s standard operating procedure. In fact, not following that procedure is what got Urban Meyer in hot water earlier this season. It’s exactly the behavior I would expect from Florida as well.
But the question I want to ask has nothing to do with Deondre Francois or FSU. The question I want to ask is whether that standard operating procedure is effective?
Deadspin’s Diana Moskovitz has written extensively about how harsh punishments don’t appear to work, and how they actually disincentivize victims to report domestic violence. There is a significant amount of research examining arrests as deterrents with a spotty record at best.
Kicking a player off of the team may make us feel better because the abuser is no longer in our midst. It also makes sense on its face. After all, that guy doesn’t deserve the privilege of playing for our school if he’s going to act like that.
But does that really matter if it merely shifts the problem away from the school rather than actually addressing it?
I’d suggest that it’s well past time for College Football to examine this issue through grown-up glasses. It’s easy for a school to just separate itself from a problem player. It’s a lot harder to decide that its going to do the hard work of actually helping that “student athlete” become a better person, even if it is means the school may risk a black eye.
In no way am I suggesting that someone accused of what Francois is accused of should be playing football anytime soon. But football is a mighty strong carrot to get him – and others accused of similar things – to submit to clinically proven, intensive counseling programs. Don’t we at least have to try?
In a Washington Post exposé after Ray Rice was punished harshly for knocking out his fiancé in an elevator (he never played again), this was the sentiment expressed by wives about domestic violence in the NFL.
You will hear of a wife murdered before you hear another one come forward.
The reasoning was that victims are inexorably tied to their abusers, often through financial and childrearing ties. If the penalties put those ties at risk, the victims are just going to aim to “scare him a little” rather than getting help breaking those ties or stopping the abuse.
I hope nothing like what that NFL wife suggested comes to pass for Deondre Francois or anyone he interacts with. I hope the same for former Ohio State coach Zach Smith and former Florida recruit Justin Watkins.
This isn’t a Florida State issue or even a college football issue. It’s a human issue.
And it’s time that schools start treating their players – and their significant others – like humans rather than commodities to be discarded when the PR gets to be too much.
Not just for the players. For the victims too.
Mark
Not that this changes the substance of the story at all, but since it was brought up as the starting point of the article I wanted to share a link to the article. Deondre Francois’ former girlfriend recanted her statement and now claims that it was a lie. She said she fabricated the video and only did it to “scare him a little” so that he would take her back. This seems like such a confusing and sad situation, but I thought it would be best for the whole story to be out there for people to make their own decision.
https://apple.news/ARNg7JOayROC1U98q9EGiQg
This is a really confusing subject to deal with, because you are correct, Will, our desire to punish those responsible for this violence might not be helping anyone in this situation except our own guilty consciences. A lot of thought and effort would need to be put into any solution that would allow someone like Ray Rice to play football again, but ultimately that might help people struggling with domestic violence more than a blanket ban with no questions asked. Sad, sad, sad situation.
Carey Freeman
Well put and a refreshing take.
Jimmy Burke
It’s tough. And there is no easy answer. Be nice if the universities would step up and do something to help rather than just cutting the kid or coach, but the knee-jerk is just cut and run and smile for the press about how the right thing was done. But this honestly goes to a larger issue about our whole legal system and how effective it is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m firmly in favor of a prison system and capital punishment because I do think it is necessary, but a lot more needs to be done in counseling and fixing the root problems. But how to fix it is way beyond me. I just don’t know how.
Gern blanston
I used to enjoy your writings on the gators but no more ! It’s the abuser that is responsible for his abhorrent behavior not his parents or society or a university !! To say that kicking the player off the team doesn’t solve the problem is obtuse and sounds like someone who has been accused himself
Will Miles
I’m not saying the abuser isn’t responsible. I’m saying that women don’t report the abuse because harsh penalties impact them too. My goal is to stop the abuse, which requires that it be reported. If NFL wives who have been impacted by this say that harsh penalties make them fear that someone will die because of it, I take notice. When the data on harsh penalties for domestic violence says that harsh penalties aren’t a great deterrent, I take notice. My goal is to help the victim. Your goal is clearly to punish the accused. We have very different goals, which is okay if we’re able to have a civil discussion.
Also, as an aside, I publish all comments so long as they are not attacks, vulgar or spam with the same message. Twitter is available if you want to send comments my way without a filter.
Gern Blanston
There is a significant amount of research that shows if an abuser is allowed to continue he many times beat up or kill the abused women
Will Miles
Please cite it. I’d like to read it and come to a different opinion if the data says so. Again, I’m not suggesting abuse be allowed to continue. I’m suggesting that women often don’t report abuse due to the fear of ruining the lives/careers of men that they love despite the abuse.
Spike
I think some readers may have reading comprehension problems. The author is simply stating that wives or girlfriends who may get abused by a player may choose NOT to come forward with accusations if their accusations gets the player booted from the team. While the wife may want husband to seek help and education to prevent further abuse, they fear by coming forward the immediate reaction from a team will be to kick him off the team. Kicking him off the team may mean no paychecks. No paychecks means the wife, kids, and player cannot eat, pay mortgage, etc. if kicking the player off the team is always the result of coming forward to get help with an abuser, some women may choose to NOT come forward. And by not coming forward, could end up in a worse situation.
Jimmy Burke
I certainly didn’t read it as not punishing the abuser. The intention was that maybe the team and institution (be it a university of pro franchise) needs to do mor than just kick someone off the team and wash their hands of it. Better to try and get some counseling in place to try and fix the problem so it doesn’t happen again.