Official says office has handled 20 rape allegations of FSU players in 9 years

[EvanNoles]

I assume the other thread was deleted because of how hostile it became.
This story has been on ESPN for about an hour. Only a matter of time before it catches on.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida State University official who counsels campus rape victims told lawyers suing the school that her office has handled 20 allegations of rape involving football players in the past nine years.

Assistant Dean of Students Melissa Ashton made the statement in a deposition given last summer in an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by former student Erica Kinsman against the university. Kinsman says the university failed to respond to her allegations that she was sexually assaulted by ex-Seminoles quarterbackJameis Winston.

Ashton said football players receive special treatment at the school and that most of the 20 victims declined to press student conduct charges.

Winston was cleared of wrongdoing by FSU following a hearing last year. A Florida prosecutor chose not to press criminal charges.

FSU released depositions of Ashton and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher late Wednesday.

http://espn.go.com/college-football...tment-seminoles-football-players-accused-rape

 

[NC nole fan]

Like I said before, I want to see the stats on this type of stuff at all the other schools in the USA, namely the $ec schools. Not excusing it, just tired of being singled out.

 

[12Nole]

A Journalism school at FSU is 25 years past due. Not too late to start offering the program.

Control the minds by controlling the narrative. UF has all of the control and media power in the state of Florida and nationally.

The paper will never go away. How it is read may change (paper vs. internet) but the narrative will always be there for the reader.

Engineering, Medical School, & Journalism school....brings you money, power, and control.

 

[FlashFSU]

A Journalism school at FSU is 25 years past due. Not too late to start offering the program.

Control the minds by controlling the narrative. UF has all of the control and media power in the state of Florida and nationally.

The paper will never go away. How it is read may change (paper vs. internet) but the narrative will always be there for the reader.

Engineering, Medical School, & Journalism school....brings you money, power, and control.

Never gonna' sell well. The state university system is already sensitive to overlapping programs. It should be an offshoot of the English program, with a focus by "creative non-fiction" faculty members with a background in journalism. We won't be able to call it a journalism school.

 

[RTM58]

How many convictions?

 

[nolechick99]

more clutter... eSECpn, knows how to time their stories! Rivalry week- we have doesn't more time and energy on LSU and now this!

lets really piss 'em off and beat the hell out of the Gates!

 

[FSU91]

How many convictions?

Hell, there are no CHARGES.

 

[SKSnole]

So a victim advocate is advocating for victims? This is quite the revelation.

 

[Panama22]

Jimbo had to give 5 1/2 hour deposition in Sept?

 

[FSU91]

more clutter... eSECpn, knows how to time their stories! Rivalry week- we have doesn't more time and energy on LSU and now this!

lets really piss 'em off and beat the hell out of the Gates!

FSU did a media dump on Thanksgiving Eve. They purposely waited to give up the information on one of the best days of the year to dump your dirty laundry. SMH.

 

[FSU91]

So a victim advocate is advocating for victims? This is quite the revelation.

So if there are indeed VICTIMS then that must mean ... well ... you do the math.

 

[SKSnole]

So if there are indeed VICTIMS then that must mean ... well ... you do the math.

I'm sure they are all victims in the eyes of this particular individual.

 

[rdbarks10]

I'm confused on how it's "favorable treatment". If no one going forward with charge then what do she want the university to do. 20 allegations in 9 years is not a lot and plus I question what is an allegation? How many are he said, she said situation?

 

[sumnernole]

Gimme a break. The whole thing is a joke. Wake me up when the media goes to other universities, including Gainesville and does a comparison.

 

[goldmom]

I want to know who this Melissa Ashton is and I want to know NOW.

 

[rdbarks10]

From LinkedIn:

Melissa J. Ashton
Assistant Dean at Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
Higher Education
Current

1. Florida State University

Previous

1. Florida Office of the Attorney General,
2. Office of the State Attorney 17th Judical Circuit

Education

1. Florida State University

Assistant Dean/Director of the Victim Advocate Program
Florida State University
May 2006 – Present (9 years 7 months)

Claims Analyst
Florida Office of the Attorney General
December 2004 – May 2006 (1 year 6 months)
Victim Advocate
Office of the State Attorney 17th Judical Circuit
June 2003 – December 2004 (1 year 7 months)

Education

Florida State University
Master of Social Work (MSW), Clinical/Medical Social Work
2007 – 2009

Florida State University
Social Science
2000 – 2001
Brewton-Parker College
Communications
1997 – 2000

 

[goldmom]

So some person who got there 18 years ago and never left campus. But hates the place apparently. All athletes are rapists and they get away with it at FSU.
Right.

 

[rdbarks10]

So some person who got there 18 years ago and never left campus. But hates the place apparently. All athletes are rapists and they get away with it at FSU.
Right.

Question, what the benefit of being an employee and taking a master class. Is it free or discounted?

 

[rdbarks10]

So some person who got there 18 years ago and never left campus. But hates the place apparently. All athletes are rapists and they get away with it at FSU.
Right.

This is who took her job and looks more qualified then her

Heather Pearce
Heather received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Development here at Florida State University and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida International University in Miami. Heather’s previous experience includes grief and bereavement counseling with Hospice patients and their families and forensic interviewing of child abuse victims. Heather spent the last ten years as a School Social Worker, providing intervention and advocacy for at-risk students. Heather is currently the Assistant Dean/Director of the Victim Advocate Program.

 

[rhurner]

So some person who got there 18 years ago and never left campus. But hates the place apparently. All athletes are rapists and they get away with it at FSU.
Right.

This does not add up. She's there for 18 years but stayed while these deplorable humans gave other deplorable humans passes?

 

[nolechick99]

I'm confused- I'm not saying that what she said isn't true- BUT...
if the victim NEVER named the "athlete" or pressed charges, how is that preferential treatment?

As a woman, a rape accusation is one of the hardest crimes to prove- if I had enough proof to prove it... I'd be in the DA's office NOT the student affairs office. If I could have him in handcuffs over a code of conduct hearing, I would.

it seems that her logic is that because a woman didn't pursue charges of any nature, didn't give anyone the opportunity to defend themselves, or report the incidents; then football players were given preferential treatment? Seems reaching...

To a previous post, she seems bitter and overpaid if this is the extent of her work in so many years- talk about justifying her job!

 

[timenole]

I'm confused on how it's "favorable treatment". If no one going forward with charge then what do she want the university to do. 20 allegations in 9 years is not a lot and plus I question what is an allegation? How many are he said, she said situation?

There have been too many incidents and allegations for it all just to be anti-FSU bias. There's way too much smoke over the last few years. I think our fan base, as reflected on this site, rallies to defend the athlete too quickly and the true victims suffer. Also, I disagree, 20 victims over 9 years is a lot because those are just the ones who came forward.

I know my opinion is not shared by most on here, sorry. I also think it's not just a FSU issue, protecting the athlete has gotten out of hand.

 

[TPANole]

Has Kinsman been deposed and has the deposition been released?

 

[96Nole]

There have been too many incidents and allegations for it all just to be anti-FSU bias. There's way too much smoke over the last few years. I think our fan base, as reflected on this site, rallies to defend the athlete too quickly and the true victims suffer. Also, I disagree, 20 victims over 9 years is a lot because those are just the ones who came forward.

I know my opinion is not shared by most on here, sorry. I also think it's not just a FSU issue, protecting the athlete has gotten out of hand.

I think we're rallying to defend FSU more than the athlete. Our university has been under non stop assault for 2 years. These are allegations, no charges were made, no investigations carried out. Allegations against athletes have been going on for a while. Does anyone remember Scott Bentley recording his sexual encounters so he could prove he didn't rape or assault the women.

 

[mnole03]

Hell, there are no CHARGES.

Hell, there are no allegations. The information comes from confidential conversations that she can't share with the school.

 

[Banditking]

I don't see anything here about special treatment. Anything social work and victim should be taken with a few grains of salt. No scientific rigor in that field

 

[ZZ828]

The ESPN article is crap, as is this woman who made these allegations.

Any journalist worth their salt would have also provided the following statistics.

1. During the same time period, how many non-athletes were reported to this office?
2. Of those, how many of the accusers decided not to continue with the process?
3. Of those that went through the process, how many were found to be responsible for the alleged conduct?

I don't see how being given access to outside lawyers is preferential treatment. If that were the case, then ESPN might as well head on down to Gainesville to figure out what is going on there. Since when is anyone not entitled to speak to a lawyer?

I'm tired of these so called journalists only presenting one side of the argument with absolutely no facts to back them up.

 

[RUBFSU]

The FSU gives football players favorable treatment story is on the cover of the Miami herald with the picture of Jamie's. If I read the article correctly it is full of innuendos. Something feels wrong.

 

[manleynumber1nole]

Elaborate on what feels wrong. Serious question.

 

[RUBFSU]

Elaborate on what feels wrong. Serious question.

That it is in the front page. The article has very little facts and it is Thanksgiving. I think it is there to fit a narrative and sell papers.

 

[Vladimir Potanin]

Lol. There is nothing wrong with it. It's a hit piece at the worst time (a holiday). It will be old news after Saturday.

 

[fsujlm]

Just jealous people that wished they had what FSU has. It happens at all universities around the United States and the only reason they use FSU is it sells newspapers and gets good ratings. Just like ESPN loves FSU, because it helps their ratings to bash us. But you notice ESPN loves us on their channel because we pull in good ratings everytime. They are just jealous.

 

[Coggin]

And an Associated Press article at that. This crap is in the NYT, ESsecPN, and all over the country. Perfect timing after that garbage documentary the other night on CNN.

 

[RUBFSU]

Lol. There is nothing wrong with it. It's a hit piece at the worst time (a holiday). It will be old news after Saturday.

True

 

[93Noles99]

According to Matt Baker's blog, she said this "I think it's easy to lose sight of why we're a university, and its academics," Ashton said, "but I think a lot of people think it's football."

Maybe out of context it's hard to understand her intent but seems like an odd statement to make in a deposition.

 

[FSU91]

That it is in the front page. The article has very little facts and it is Thanksgiving. I think it is there to fit a narrative and sell papers.

FSU dumped the information on Thanksgiving Eve. FSU knew what it was doing to release this information at the last minute before a long holiday weekend.

 

[FSU91]

Just jealous people that wished they had what FSU has. It happens at all universities around the United States and the only reason they use FSU is it sells newspapers and gets good ratings. Just like ESPN loves FSU, because it helps their ratings to bash us. But you notice ESPN loves us on their channel because we pull in good ratings everytime. They are just jealous.

Buhahahahahahahahahahahahaahaha!

You don't really believe that, do you?

 

[balognole]

I'm confused on how it's "favorable treatment". If no one going forward with charge then what do she want the university to do. 20 allegations in 9 years is not a lot and plus I question what is an allegation? How many are he said, she said situation?

All the headlines mention "special" or "favorable treatment" by FSU towards football players. Followed by eyebrow-raising numbers of supposed allegations (not convictions, or even charges, as another poster pointed out).

However, if you read these articles (and they are all basically the exact same) the only portion that speaks to special treatment is the following paragraph:

"But in her statements she said she was concerned that athletes get preferential treatment during investigations of misconduct, including access to an athletic department official who helps them get access to outside lawyers."

That's it. They have the depo transcripts. If there were anything more damning than that, it would be included in the story. There is not. There is also no mention of the FACT that EVERY university with an even moderately prominent athletic department helps players "get access to outside lawyers". Name me a school that doesn't.

This is not a story. Not only is FSU getting railroaded, but Ms. Ashton is getting misrepresented as well. If she has concerns that student-athletes have better access to an attorney than an average student, that is a fair concern. She's a victim's advocate. It's her job to care about these things. However, this concern does not point to a greater problem of favorable treatment for players, as all the headlines suggest.

I would also like to see how the question was framed, i.e., Q: "Does the fact that FSU players have greater access to outside lawyers than the average student give you any concern?" A: "Yes."

Boom! We have our headline! "FSU Victim's Advocate Verifies Special Treatment of Football Players."

 

[sumnernole]

Yawn

 

[Panama22]

I bet Kinsman's attorneys got a woody when deposing her