The Washington Free Beacon's Ellison Barber weighed in on the decision not to charge Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with rape and the suspension of a police officer who repeatedly cursed a school bus full of unruly children Thursday on The Kelly File.
Regarding Winston, a Heisman candidate whose Seminoles are one win away from playing for a national title, Barber said whether he was innocent or not, the case raised the issue of whether football players are more likely to receive special treatment on college campuses. It also called to mind the problems that can arise from the party atmosphere of colleges, Barber argued.
"I don't know whether this guy is guilty or not, but I take a few broad questions that I think are worth having a discussion about after moving from the situation," she said. "One of them is the atmosphere that is created on college campuses, be it the hook-up culture or the common excessive drinking. I think that's always a conversation worth having."
Also, regarding Dalton Police Department Officer John Gurrieri, who was suspended after he hurled profanities at middle-school-aged children on a school bus, Barber said the officer needed to hold himself to a higher standard. The driver had called the police after she felt the kids were getting out of control.
"There's a way to be stern and discipline people without stepping over the line," Barber said. "I don't think you talk to children that way. It detracts from the situation that was at hand."