As the football team's on- and off-the-field actions tarnished MSU's integrity in 2002, efforts to deny the release of police reports involving Spartan athletes only further smears the institution's reputation.
Spartan All-American wide receiver Charles Rogers allegedly pushed an MSU parking enforcer in October, according to the Ingham County prosecutor's office.
But MSU officials refuse to release the police report for the incident.
University officials denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the document by The State News in November and MSU President M. Peter McPherson turned down the newspaper's appeal of that decision in December.
MSU leaders said the information request would "constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
When university officials refused to comment on the specifics of the October suspension of Rogers' teammate, junior quarterback Jeff Smoker, they cited the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prevents universities from releasing a student's academic and disciplinary records without his or her consent.
But Rogers' situation doesn't fall under the protection of the federal privacy act because it involves violence.
Although MSU's hush behind Smoker's later-revealed substance abuse problem was irksome, it was understandable and reasonable under the umbrella of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The coverup of the alleged Rogers' confrontation, however, is not reasonable.
The Ingham County prosecutor's office said the unidentified parking enforcer didn't want to press assault and battery charges against MSU's star wide receiver.
Perhaps that parking enforcer feared becoming known as the person responsible for getting a star student-athlete benched. That would be unfortunate.
University officials and other community members need to realize athletes are not above the law.
Just as any other average American, student-athletes are adult members of society and responsible for their actions.
Granted, media outlets that are interested in obtaining police reports involving athletes would not be as concerned with acquiring the same information about an average student. But the athletes whose actions represent the university's dignity are held to higher standards.
The fans, whose dollars help pay for star athletes' scholarships, deserve to know if the institution they are so kind to open their checkbooks for is making wise investments.
While the alleged Rogers' incident might not have been a big deal in and of itself, MSU's attempt to conceal it only helps to cast a larger shadow of suspicion over the university's character.
MSU officials need to start answering serious questions before Sparty's reputation is tarnished beyond repair and the institution itself becomes a bigger joke than its 2002 football season.
