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Reports broke early Monday that Florida quarterback Treon Harris, who led a Florida rally that allowed the Gators to beat Tennessee on Saturday, had been suspended. It didn't take long for us to find out why, and it made what Harris achieved on the football field this weekend seem trivial by comparison.
From the official University of Florida statement:
University of Florida student athlete Treon Harris is accused of sexually assaulting a female student early Sunday morning in a residence hall on the UF campus.
Obviously, this is just an allegation right now. We don't know for a fact how strong or weak the evidence against Harris will turn out to be. We do know that anyone being accused of sexual assault is gravely serious, and that Florida should treat it as such.
In some ways, this is different than the Jameis Winston investigation. It appears that the investigation has started in earnest quickly, instead of months later, which strengthens the chances that we will get some sort of definitive outcome. But sexual assault investigations are sexual assault investigations -- they are hard to prosecute and the circumstances are sometimes murky. Indications are that this case is at least beginning in that same territory.
Sources said this is a "he said, she said'' case. UF pres. Bernie Machen: "We have no tolerance for sexual assault on our campus.'' #Gators
— David Jones (@DaveJonesUFbeat) October 6, 2014
My first instinct, as I've said before, is not to prejudge legal guilt or innocence, while at the same time generally giving the accuser the benefit of the doubt -- though the facts that an investigation uncovers can always change that. Reasonable people can disagree. But whatever your stance is, I hope that it's dictated by what we know so far, and not whose team will benefit or be hurt if the allegations are true.
The full UF statement:
University of Florida student athlete Treon Harris is accused of sexually assaulting a female student early Sunday morning in a residence hall on the UF campus.
The University of Florida Police Department is investigating the incident, and UFPD has brought in the Gainesville Police Department to assist with collection and analysis of forensic evidence.
The investigation is ongoing and the university does not have an update regarding any charges at this time.
The University of Florida and the University Athletic Association are cooperating fully.
Due to legal and privacy requirements, there are limitations as to what the university can say publicly about a pending matter such as this. In these types of serious situations, Student Affairs initiates the Student Conduct Code process. Often, a student may be suspended on an interim basis, which means he or she is banned from campus and all campus activities, pending the outcome of the conduct process.
UAA has suspended Treon Harris from all team activities.
"We have no tolerance for sexual assault on our campus," UF President Bernie Machen said. "The university is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for every member of the UF community. We must strive to protect all of our students from sexual harassment and assault, and do everything in our power to promote a safe learning environment."
UF continues to provide a wide variety of support services and resources. The university continually enhance its campus efforts to address issues of sexual assault and harassment.
As this process unfolds and is resolved, UF is committed to addressing this serious matter with integrity, fairness and compassion.