Florida Judge Rips Into USF Coach Charlie Strong For Lack Of Control Of His Players

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Hillsborough County judge Margaret Taylor, who is a University of South Florida graduate, ripped into USF football player LaDarrius Jackson, and his coach, Charlie Strong.

Jackson was arrested on Monday, May 1, on charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment after he allegedly forced himself onto a female student.

Jackson is the second Bulls player to be arrested recently. In March, Hassan Childs was charged with aggravated assault and possession of marijuana.

During Jackson’s court appearance, Taylor ripped into him, saying she made him ’embarassed’ of the university.

via WTSP:

“If these allegations against you are true, I must say that your behavior is nothing short of outrageous,” Taylor told Jackson, handcuffed and dressed in a jail-issued red inmate’s jumpsuit.

“I graduated from USF in 1989, long before there was a football team. And while USF may not be the top-ranked school in the nation, I was never ashamed of being an alum until now. I’m embarrassed and ashamed, Mr. Jackson. Let’s just say my USF diploma is not proudly hanging in my office right now.”

Taylor then turned her anger towards newly hired head coach Charlie Strong, who did not attend the hearing:

“And, I have a message for your coach, as well. Coach Strong, if you are listening, in the last couple of months there have been two arrests of your players for very violent felonies. This court, and I’m sure I’m not alone, questions whether you have control over your players. It’s fairly clear you do not have control of them off the field, and I guess only time will tell whether you have control over them on the field.

“I would implore you to think long and hard about whether being head coach at USF is a good fit for you before any other members of this community have to suffer at the hands of one of your players.

However, neither Childs nor Jackson were recruited by Strong, who was hired in December. Strong responded to Taylor with a statement:

“In the short time I have been here our program has been built on character, discipline and family. We have wonderful young men in the USF football program who choose to do the right thing every day. We are dedicated to recruiting young men of high character, and to consistently developing them with structure and frequent education regarding appropriate conduct and behavior, on and off the playing field. While I am shocked and saddened at the recent arrest of a member of our team, I am disappointed that the actions of two players over the last two months have harmed the reputation of our program, of our wonderful university and of my character. We have high expectations of our coaches, staff and student-athletes and we hold accountable those who act contrary to our values.”