The athletics department fell short this week of its obligation to preserve the university’s image.A member of one of the most notable groups on campus, junior wide receiver Walter Bryant, was allowed into the spotlight this weekend as TCU took on Stanford University despite the fact that he’d been arrested only days earlier when police said he assaulted his wife.

The way the athletics department has handled the situation involving Bryant is the opposite of how it should have been handled.

Although Bryant has been suspended indefinitely as the athletics department gathers more information about his arrest, allowing him to play against Stanford last Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif., knowing he had been arrested three days prior is mind-boggling.

And though the suspension may be adequate, it’s too late. Bryant should have been benched the moment he was jailed.

Not only does this reflect poorly on the decision-making process initiated by the athletics department on the matter, it also casts a dark cloud over the judgment of the football program and head coach Gary Patterson.

Patterson, who is easily TCU’s most notable public figure, originally said after reviewing the facts of the case he stood firm in his belief that Bryant would remain eligible to suit up. Even though the athletics department is now taking the correct course of action, Patterson allowing Bryant to remain on the team for the game Saturday after police said he admitted to striking his wife is inexcusable.

To uphold the honor and respectability of a football program as rich in history such as TCU’s, truth must be established between the public and the public figure, and responsibility needs to be taken immediately – not three days after the fact.

Editor-in-Chief Andrew Chavez for the editorial board.