This was a major topic of discussion last week, but the courts have decided to intervene in the Terrence Shannon case at Illinois. It sounds like he has been reinstated and can play.
www.nbcdfw.com
I have to say that I really don't know what to think about this case. There are a lot of layers to it. At the end of the day, there needs to be a set of systems in place such that justice prevails, but that is a very, very hard thing to do in practice. Heavan knows that the MSU community has a lot of experience cases involving violence against women. There often are no easy answers. As an academic exercise, it is at least interesting to think about cases at other places where the emotional component is not there.
First of all, I have no idea what actually happened to that young woman in the bar in Kansas. 99.9999% of the people who are commenting on this story are in that same category. Based on the attached article, it certainly sounds as if the young woman was groped / sexually assaulted in a really disgusting way in a public place. I think that everyone can agree that part is true. I personally do not think that the word "rape" should be used in this situation. I don't think that it is accurate or precise and accuracy and precision are absolutely needed cases like this.
Beyond that, on some level the analysis is really pretty simple. Either Shannon was the man who did it to her or he wasn't. If he did it, he should be arrested and held accountable. If he did not do it, his name should be cleared, and he has been done a terrible injustice. But we have no way to tell, quite honestly, which is correct. I say this mostly because the argument from the Illinois side is that this is a case of mistaken identity. Based on the article attached, there is at least some evidence that this might be true. Then again, the fact that he was arrested and charged tells me that the police may have additional evidence that tips the scales the other way. I have no idea (and I am betting neither do 99.999%) and what the right answer is.
The next interesting layer is how the University handles the situation. I strongly believe that there needs to be a mechanism completely independent from the athletic department to make the determination if an athlete in this situation should be suspended or not. Coaches and Athletic Departments are not judges nor are they criminal investigators. They should not be involved. Period. But this puts a lot of responsibility onto this independent organization. They need to make the best decision, based on the evidence at hand. Erring on either the side of the issue here is very bad. It's a tough position to be in, and this is where robust systems need to be in place. I am not convinced that these systems really exist and function properly at ANY University, but it seems like the best strategy to me.
Then, there is the issue of the courts getting involved. This reminds me a lot of when Michigan threatened to sue the Big Ten to get Harbaugh reinstated. This part, to me, is crazy and an absolutely terrible development. There is no way that a judge should be able to override the rules of an organization, or the punishments given by a university like this. This seems like a disaster of a precedent to me. There likely needs to be some sort of check/balance to the office at the University who suspended Shannon, but the courts should not be it. This just feels like Pandora's box to me.
Finally, there is the issue of what Illinois actually does? The optics are terrible either way. Shannon has now been reinstated. Does the athletic director tell Underwood not to play him? Does Underwood decide on his own not to play him? Does he just not start him? If Shannon plays 30 minutes instead of 35 minutes, does his lawyer file an injunction that too much time on the bench is hurting his draft stock? The courts certainly should have no ability to override coaching decisions, but that line has now (sort of) been crossed. Lawyers should not be involved. Period.
This is extremely messy and I do not know the right answer. But it is interesting. At the end of the day, I hope everyone gets justice. Bad people should be punished. Innocent people should not. It's obvious, but it is not easy.
Judge reinstates Illinois basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr., who faces rape charge
Shannon missed six games during his suspension.
www.nbcdfw.com
I have to say that I really don't know what to think about this case. There are a lot of layers to it. At the end of the day, there needs to be a set of systems in place such that justice prevails, but that is a very, very hard thing to do in practice. Heavan knows that the MSU community has a lot of experience cases involving violence against women. There often are no easy answers. As an academic exercise, it is at least interesting to think about cases at other places where the emotional component is not there.
First of all, I have no idea what actually happened to that young woman in the bar in Kansas. 99.9999% of the people who are commenting on this story are in that same category. Based on the attached article, it certainly sounds as if the young woman was groped / sexually assaulted in a really disgusting way in a public place. I think that everyone can agree that part is true. I personally do not think that the word "rape" should be used in this situation. I don't think that it is accurate or precise and accuracy and precision are absolutely needed cases like this.
Beyond that, on some level the analysis is really pretty simple. Either Shannon was the man who did it to her or he wasn't. If he did it, he should be arrested and held accountable. If he did not do it, his name should be cleared, and he has been done a terrible injustice. But we have no way to tell, quite honestly, which is correct. I say this mostly because the argument from the Illinois side is that this is a case of mistaken identity. Based on the article attached, there is at least some evidence that this might be true. Then again, the fact that he was arrested and charged tells me that the police may have additional evidence that tips the scales the other way. I have no idea (and I am betting neither do 99.999%) and what the right answer is.
The next interesting layer is how the University handles the situation. I strongly believe that there needs to be a mechanism completely independent from the athletic department to make the determination if an athlete in this situation should be suspended or not. Coaches and Athletic Departments are not judges nor are they criminal investigators. They should not be involved. Period. But this puts a lot of responsibility onto this independent organization. They need to make the best decision, based on the evidence at hand. Erring on either the side of the issue here is very bad. It's a tough position to be in, and this is where robust systems need to be in place. I am not convinced that these systems really exist and function properly at ANY University, but it seems like the best strategy to me.
Then, there is the issue of the courts getting involved. This reminds me a lot of when Michigan threatened to sue the Big Ten to get Harbaugh reinstated. This part, to me, is crazy and an absolutely terrible development. There is no way that a judge should be able to override the rules of an organization, or the punishments given by a university like this. This seems like a disaster of a precedent to me. There likely needs to be some sort of check/balance to the office at the University who suspended Shannon, but the courts should not be it. This just feels like Pandora's box to me.
Finally, there is the issue of what Illinois actually does? The optics are terrible either way. Shannon has now been reinstated. Does the athletic director tell Underwood not to play him? Does Underwood decide on his own not to play him? Does he just not start him? If Shannon plays 30 minutes instead of 35 minutes, does his lawyer file an injunction that too much time on the bench is hurting his draft stock? The courts certainly should have no ability to override coaching decisions, but that line has now (sort of) been crossed. Lawyers should not be involved. Period.
This is extremely messy and I do not know the right answer. But it is interesting. At the end of the day, I hope everyone gets justice. Bad people should be punished. Innocent people should not. It's obvious, but it is not easy.
