In a disturbing event, MSU Associate Professor John D. McCallie, husband of MSU women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie, was arrested on charges of battery on a police officer and violently resisting arrest in Sarasota, Fla. last Wednesday.
Evidently, after discovering that one of his bags was lost and that he needed his luggage stub, McCallie emptied out the trash can where he threw it away. When a police officer approached him to ask what was going on, McCallie swung the garbage can at the officer. A struggle ensued and McCallie ended up biting the officer's finger and had to be subdued.
When asked for the university's take on the McCallie altercation, MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said, "We support them."
It is important to get both sides of the story, but the McCallies have not yet made an official statement. So the fact that the university has come out and said it "supports" them is remarkable.
No harsh language? No "MSU stands firmly against resisting arrest and biting officers of the law?" Just a blanket statement of support?
After the "riots" two years ago, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon was slow to make a public statement amid student allegations of excessive force and unnecessary violence. Seven months later she apologized on behalf of the student body for alcohol-induced behavior. Given this track record of blaming students for their actions, why didn't the university issue a stronger statement condemning, or even apologizing, for the alleged actions of one of its professors?
It seems strange MSU would not support students in one case, but issue a statement of support for a professor. Granted, the situations are not the same, but, thus far, there has been no mitigating evidence to indicate that McCallie was justified in his actions or that what he did was warranted in any way. In the case of the students, evidence was provided to support the students' claims, and still the university issued a blanket apology, rather than showing support.
But regardless of the university's actions, McCallie should publicly apologize for his actions. Like it or not, McCallie is a representative of MSU both as a professor and as the husband of Joanne P. McCallie, who is not only an MSU coach, but one of the most successful female coaches in the state. She's high profile, and by extension, so is he. This means that his actions reflect upon not only himself, but also MSU.
Though he hasn't delivered his side of the story — and we would certainly like to hear it — it seems unlikely that his side will shed light on anything that doesn't call for an apology.
MSU will host the women's basketball tournament beginning this weekend, and public displays like this do nothing but damage the image of the university in the eyes of the country.
Someone, either MSU or McCallie himself, needs to make this right. Someone needs to make amends for this, and at this point, it doesn't really matter who.
