Apparently where there is smoke, there must be fire, at least that seems to be the thinking at Florida State University.
Heavily recruited Brian Bell had his scholarship withdrawn by the university. No official explanation has been released by the university. However, it is suspected by many to be the result of an intense social media campaign and his alleged involvement in the death of fellow Lowndes County High School student Kendrick Johnson. Johnson’s body was found in a rolled up wrestling mat inside the school gym. The condition of Johnson’s body and the circumstances surrounding his death have been the subject of a U.S. Department of Justice grand jury investigation.
The teen’s death caused national attention to be focused on Valdosta, Georgia, and has caused deep racial animosity to rise to the surface. The Johnson family recently filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit that names more than 30 defendants and the city of Valdosta. It is alleged in the lawsuit that Johnson was lured to the gym by an unidentified White female. It was there that Brian Bell and his brother are alleged to have assaulted Johnson. The lawsuit further alleges that the father of the boys, FBI agent Rick Bell, encouraged the boys to assault Johnson. Because of possible conflict of interest issues with the case, seven judges have recused themselves from hearing the lawsuit.
