Very late Monday night, Florida State announced that quarterback De’Andre Johnson had been dismissed from the football program. The announcement came several hours after video surfaced of Johnson punching a woman in the face following a bar confrontation, leading to a misdemeanor battery charge being filed against the 2015 four-star signee.
Some had questioned whether FSU had seen the video of the incident prior to it being released and was simply reacting to the public outcry with the dismissal, or if yesterday was the first time they had viewed the damning piece of evidence.
According to a pair of reports, it’s most certainly the latter.
Update: FSU source said school did not see Johnson video until @TDOnline posted it. Added Jimbo Fisher did not see until Monday evening.
— Jared Shanker (@Jared_Shanker) July 7, 2015
Source said Jimbo Fisher is on vacation and was unavailable until Monday evening, around 7 p.m.
— Jared Shanker (@Jared_Shanker) July 7, 2015
Additionally, a school spokesperson stated that “[n]one of us saw it” when asked by the Tallahassee Democrat about the timing of the university’s first viewing of the video.
In a statement released late Tuesday morning, FSU president John Thrasher released a rather lengthy statement in support of Jimbo Fisher‘s decision to dismiss Johnson from the team.“I fully support Coach (Jimbo) Fisher’s decisions to immediately suspend and subsequently dismiss De’Andre Johnson from the football team. While it is always important to adhere to due process, having now seen the physical altercation captured on video, there is no question in my mind that Coach Fisher made the correct decisions.
“I expect all students at Florida State University, including student-athletes, to adhere to the highest level of conduct. I have no tolerance for the kind of behavior exhibited in this case.
“Florida State University was forged from an outstanding college for women and has a long tradition of being a caring community that demands students be treated with dignity and respect. All students must know their university will do everything it can to ensure a safe, healthy and positive environment in which they can learn and enjoy their college experience. As president, I am committed to maintaining such an environment at FSU.”