Sexual assault, football program, small town...
Do these words sound familiar? It should be, and unfortunately it's a string of words that have rang in our conversations and news reports for far too long. It's a disease that has infiltrated academic institutions for years, whether it's in Happy Valley, Tallahassee, Steubenville, or more recently Knoxville, there has been a long trail of pain, power, and criminality that has been a part of the football environment as much as the pigskin and tailgate parties.
What happened today in Waco, Texas among the allegations of nine sexual assaults that led to the firing of long time head coach Art Briles and the re-assignment of Baylor University President Ken Starr (yes, that Ken Starr) will appease some. Granted, there are still those who will still think that the NCAA is out to get their beloved school (because never mind the women who were attacked against their own will, as long as we beat Oklahoma! Go Bears!) but they bleed green and gold. However, it's not the fans who are the problem, there's a reason fan is short for fanatic. It's much bigger than that.
Whether it's the Catholic priests who are molesting young boys, or the recent stories by actors such as Elijah Wood coming out against the rampant pedophilia in Hollywood, the theme is the same: a crime has been committed by someone in power, and the higher-ups look the other way, hoping it will go away. The media who is afraid to challenge the system because of fear of losing access, to the police force in these small towns who dismiss the reports, everyone is accountable when they know and won't do what is necessary to bring this evil to light.
Rather than focus on the problem, it's time for solutions. There needs to be an independent counselor assigned to these institutions when an accusation comes about. Someone who can thoroughly investigate these matters without threat of obstruction. Someone like, I don't know...their own Ken Starr!
Sexual assault is no joke, and the time for administrators, law officials, and media to start dealing with this with the severity it deserves. Although Briles should be held accountable for his lackadaisical approach to reprimanding his players, his primary focus should be on developing players for being successful each Saturday in the Fall. He is no preacher, and that is where leadership above him comes into effect.
It's as Starr said, "Our hearts break for those whose lives are impacted by execrable acts of sexual violence." Starr told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "I am in favor of transparency. Stand up, take your medicine if you made a mistake."
It's time for these football institutions to get a taste of their own medicine and be held in check. It doesn't matter how many wins you get over your rival, when innocent people are violated and left to defend themselves, everyone loses.
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