The Victims' View of Second Chances

There's another view of second chances for student athletes who get in trouble, one that often goes under the radar. And that's the one of the victim.

A.J. Sturges, the MSU hockey player assaulted by Glenn Winston, recently released a statement on Winston's reinstatement, a note the LSJ's Joe Rexrode posted in its entirely on his blog. Here's the key bit:

In my opinion, the immediate reinstatement of Glenn Winston to the football team reflects very poorly on Michigan State Athletics. This decision has established weak precedent for future athletes involved in violent crimes.

It's tough to fault Sturges for his point of view here, I'm not sure that I'd feel any different were I in his position. That said, Winston did spend about four months in jail for the fight, which is a hell of a long time for a sucker punch. He's definitely paid his debt to society, and America is a nation that loves to forgive.

I guess it's no surprise then, that our poll on MSU's second chance policies is pretty evenly split between those who want the university to crack down and those who think giving folks like Winston a second chance is a great idea.