Florida State's Ever-Growing Football Scandal

Florida State University continues to face damning news reports about Jameis Winston, its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who has been accused of rape, and other members of the football team and their alleged crimes:

• The New York Times reported Saturday on a pattern in which football players are accused of crimes and local police officers look the other way. "From criminal mischief and motor-vehicle theft to domestic violence, arrests have been avoided, investigations have stalled and players have escaped serious consequences," the article says.
• Fox News, citing a lengthy investigation and documents obtained under open-records requests, reported that "Florida State University officials and Tallahassee police took steps to both hide, and then hinder, the criminal investigation into a rape allegation against" Winston. (Winston has said that the accusations stem from consensual sex.)
• ESPN reported that Florida State, which has insisted that it did nothing to hinder the investigation and which has noted repeatedly that local authorities declined to charge Winston, notified him on Friday that he would face student disciplinary charges in the incident, which took place in December 2012.
• Florida State on Friday issued a statement insisting that it "does not tolerate sexual assault," and criticizing media coverage. The statement noted that the university is constrained in what it can say because of federal privacy laws. While the statement does not name Winston, it appears to be a defense of the university's conduct in the case.