FSU drops Francois after abuse allegations surface

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

Florida State’s head football coach announced Sunday that quarterback Deondre Francois had been dismissed from the team after allegations of domestic abuse surfaced.

FSU head coach Willie Taggart said in a statement Sunday that he had notified Francois of his decision the night before. Taggart’s decision to drop Francois came the same day the quarterback’s girlfriend posted a video to Instagram alleging abuse by Francois.

“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,” Taggart said. “We are moving forward as a program.”

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that the video shows neither Francois nor the girlfriend, but a woman can be heard begging a man to stop hitting her.

Francois hasn’t been charged with a crime. He couldn’t be reached and Francois’ uncle, Pat Julmiste, didn’t respond to a phone call seeking comment.