Washington State's Leach questions whether police, media targeted players

Washington State head coach Mike Leach spoke out Tuesday about the recent legal issues regarding some of his players, and he is not jumping to any conclusions about their guilt.

"No one has been found guilty," Leach said after practice, according to Jacob Thorpe of The Spokesman-Review. "Some have not been arrested. None are charged. Comments to the media have distorted the facts and already condemned football players in the court of public opinion."

Cougars safety Logan Tago was reportedly arrested for assault Monday after the alleged victim claimed he was attacked by Tago and a group of men who were trying to steal a case of beer he was carrying back in June.

In addition, police recommended Tuesday that safety Shalom Luani be charged with assault for an incident in August that occurred outside a restaurant.

"If the other guilty parties are not accused or charged, there needs to be an extensive investigation as to why," Leach added. "How in the world can only football parties be guilty in events depicted like this? It is irresponsible to this town, this community, and everybody to have some kind of a double standard where we only focus on one demographic, one group of people and then drag their name through the newspaper with a bunch of irresponsible comments.

"We can't allow the double standard. Because of all these inconsistencies, all I'm left with is to presume them innocent until proven guilty, which is what I should have done in the first place. With that said, if they have charges, fine. We're going to let the legal system take its course. But the system has to be checked if with the number of people involved in these incidents the only ones accused are football players. If that's the case, then something is seriously wrong, which goes far deeper than whatever has even been alleged. And whatever has even been alleged is only fractionally accurate."