By Samantha Perera
News editor
A former Southeastern football player was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 5 and charged with counts of sexual battery and assault and battery.
According to the report filed by officer John Miller of the SE campus police department, Gasteneau Rashard Fisher allegedly assaulted a young woman in the Southeastern Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library before fleeing to his dorm room.
The 21-year-old victim said she had been using the copy machine at the library when Fisher “groped and grabbed her breast,” Miller said in his report. She said that when she attempted to get away from him, Fisher “struck her in the mouth with his fist and head butted her,” according to the report.
Durant court records state Fisher pled not guilty and was released on bail with a court date set for Nov. 2 at the Bryan County District Court House.
According to the witness statements in the report, Fisher had to be pulled off of the victim, who stated she had never met him before nor knew who he was.
Miller was checking the university property at the Durant Regional Airport when dispatch notified him around 8 p.m. that there had been an incident at the SE library, he said.
After arriving at the scene 10 minutes after he received the call, Miller found the victim in the care of the Bryan County Emergency Medical Service being treated for a cut to her top lip, according to the report. Miller then went back into the library to search for the suspect, who had escaped through the Education Center door on the first floor of the library.
Miller then saw Fisher running toward the front of the Morrison Building and pursued him on foot, yelling “police, stop” several times, Miller said in his report. Fisher kept running and though he fell just 50 yards away from the officer, he got up and continued to run toward Choctaw Tower.
According to the report, Miller then returned to the crime scene and asked witnesses to fill out voluntary statements down at the Campus Police Station.
He said he returned to the library to make sure he got every witnesses’ statement.
“The more witnesses the better,” said Miller, adding that Fisher wasn’t going anywhere. “I knew who he was and where his dorm was,” said Miller.
Miller also requested that EMS drop the victim at the station, so that she could file her statement.
In the report filed by Miller, it was Captain Stacy Ballew of the Campus Police who spotted Fisher attempting to get to his dorm room, and Bellow took Fisher into custody and taken to the Campus Police Station.
Miller questioned Fisher, who informed him that he had smoked a substance called “Diablo” but said he could not remember who gave it to him or whom he had smoked it with, stated the report. Fisher was then transported to the Bryan County Jail where he made bail.
“The safety of our students and campus community is foremost in our minds,” said Camille Phelps, dean of students. “When laws or rules are violated, we have a disciplinary procedure that we follow as outlined and stated in our student handbook.
“This procedure begins with a referral to the dean of students,” said Phelps. An incident reporting form, a criminal report or a report or an email from students, faculty and staff are some of the many ways a complaint or an incident can be brought to the dean of students’ attention, said Phelps.
The incident reporting form can be found on the “current students” page of the SE website, she said.
“Because of student privacy laws, we cannot discuss specifics concerning individuals,” said Phelps. It is under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that student academic/education rights are protected, said Phelps.
According to the U.S. Department of Education website, FERPA is “a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.”
Criminal records and court proceeding can be reviewed as part of the investigation, said Phelps. However, a decision by the dean of students would not be placed on hold until after a court decision has been made.
After administrative review and the student’s rights have been explained, Phelps will make a determination whether a university violation has been made, and an appropriate decision will be made on what actions will be taken, said Phelps.
According to Phelps, the student could face one or a combination of several sanctions set down in the student code of conduct.
As stated in the student code of conduct, “penalties for violations of university regulations or public law” may include: A warning, imposing of specified restrictions and sanctions, conduct probation, temporary suspension, suspension (a definite period of time not less than the remainder of the current semester in which the student is enrolled), expulsion and/or degree revocation or rescission of credit.
The decision by the dean of students’ and the recommended penalties are final. However, if a student does not accept the dean of student’s decision, the code of conduct states, “the student may appeal temporary suspension, suspension, expulsion or degree revocation cases in writing” to be heard by the Committee on Student Conduct.
Fisher was removed from the football roster following the incident, and when contacted, the atheletic department stated that they were unable to comment on student conduct issues.