Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois was dismissed from the team on Sunday, just one day after a video was posted to Instagram alleging abusive behavior by the football player.
According to Florida State head coach Willie Taggart, Francois was informed that he was no longer a part of the football program on Saturday night.
Instagram Video Alleges Domestic Abuse
That was the same day that a woman believed to be the quarterback’s girlfriend posted a video to Instagram under the account “house0fdimes†in which a male voice – alleged to be Francois – is yelling at a woman. In the video, the woman can be heard asking the man to stop hitting her, while the man in turn is threatening to hit her if the woman does not stop throwing items.
The video was later deleted by the user who posted it, though it was captured by many other users before it was taken down. While it was up, the video was accompanied by a lengthy caption written by the woman who posted it.
“For 2 years I have been in a domestic situation with [Francois],†she wrote. “I thought I loved him and thought he could change for the better but it has gotten worse. I lost my first child because of all the beating and I suffer from post Partum [sic] depression. The situation is taking a toll on my life. Yes, I stayed after that because I was stupid and blinded by love. This isn’t love.â€
Florida State released a statement on Sunday saying that the school dismissed Francois because his behavior did not conform with its values.
“As we build a new culture and foundation for FSU Football, we have high expectations for all of our student-athletes and we will not shy away from those high standards of conduct,†the statement read. “We are moving forward as a program.â€
Police Weren’t Aware of Video
Francois was previously involved in a domestic violence situation in January 2018. He and his then-girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, were in a shouting match. Francois and the woman, along with former FSU linebacker ZaQuandre White, gave differing statements on the nature of the argument when speaking to police officers.
At the time, police said there wasn’t probably cause to arrest Francois, and the woman declined to press charges. It is not clear if this incident is the one captured on the video posted Saturday, though police say they weren’t aware of such evidence when the 2018 altercation occurred.
“On the day of the incident, she did not make us aware of the video and did not share the video with us,†Tallahassee Police Department public information officer Damon Miller told ESPN. “We found out about the video on Saturday like everyone else.â€
FSU Left With Few Options at Quarterback
Francois served as the starting quarterback for Florida State as a redshirt freshman in 2016, then again in the 2018 season after missing most of 2017 with a knee injury. Last year, he threw for 2,731 yards, tossing 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in a disappointing season for the Seminoles, who missed out on playing in a bowl game for the first time since 1981.
James Blackman, the FSU backup quarterback who took on the starting role in the 2017 season, is the only eligible scholarship quarterback still on the roster and is likely to get the job next year. The Seminoles are also in the process of recruiting freshmen for the 2019 class, and could look at graduate transfers as well.
