WSU board dismisses Roof

PULLMAN – Washington State University’s Student Conduct Board dismissed senior defensive tackle Andy Roof from the school Monday.

Roof was involved in an off-campus altercation in April, and the board ruled that incident was enough to merit the fifth-year senior’s dismissal from WSU.

Efforts to talk with Roof on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

WSU football coach Paul Wulff, who learned of the dismissal Tuesday, first addressed the news in a press release, then talked at greater depth in his regular press conference.

Though he shied away from criticizing the decision, Wulff did address Roof’s recent conduct.

“From where he was a year ago, he has changed his life around 180 degrees,” Wulff said in the statement, “and as a coaching staff we have seen the positive impact he made on this program.”

When asked to elaborate, Wulff didn’t hesitate.

“For any … person on our team, we’re always looking for people to better themselves,” Wulff said during the conference. “To continue to make smarter and more wiser decisions. When people are doing that, and are clearly showing those signs, we want to continue to reward those people in our program.

“That’s what we’re here to do. They’re going to make mistakes. We’re here to help them along the way.”

Elaine Voss, WSU’s Director of Student Conduct, would not speak to the Roof decision, citing confidentiality, though she did talk about the length of the process.

“Of course, we would like to resolve these in a more timely manner,” Voss said when asked if two to three months is the time frame for matters that come before the board. “But these situations are complicated by the academic year. Witnesses go away and we can’t compel them to stay. (And) the board is, in part, made up of faculty members who have other obligations over the summer.”

The board consists of students and staff members. The 2007-08 group, listed on the WSU Web site, included 17 faculty members, nine graduate students and 10 undergraduates. Faculty members serve a three-year term while students serve for one year.

The Cougars open the season Saturday at Qwest Field in Seattle against Oklahoma State. Roof, who started six games in 2006 on the offensive line, was on the WSU depth chart as a backup defensive tackle, behind first-year starter Matt Eichelberger.

“He was in our rotation in our defensive line,” Wulff said. “It’s going to be an impact, on a team that’s already very thin, in a lot of areas.”

Roof, from East Valley High in Spokane, was expelled from school in 2007 after three alcohol-related school violations. In his time away from school, he underwent alcohol treatment and spent the fall semester working on the West Side, according to published reports. He applied for and was granted reinstatement in the spring, paying his way through school, and rejoined the football team.

The spring incident occurred at an off-campus party, after which the Pullman police recommended one second-degree assault charge and five fourth-degree assault charges against Roof.

More than three months later, Roof has yet to be formally charged. A spokesman for Whitman County prosecutor Denis Tracy’s office said this week a decision may not come until next week.

Wulff has said repeatedly that all the facts related to the incident were not revealed and he believed Roof deserved another chance.

“If someone is truly making the strides to better themselves as a person and doing all the right things, then those are the people we need to continue to promote, and help move forward,” Wulff said Tuesday.

When asked if he understood why the decision took so long to come down, Wulff said, “No, I do not.”

He also said no one in his office knew when the decision was going to be made until he was told Tuesday morning, though he was aware it would come by the end of the month.

The decision comes at a tough time for Roof, who was already enrolled in school and living in Pullman. A transfer to a Football Championship Subdivision school (formerly 1-AA) is not an option, because the 22-year-old only has one year of eligibility remaining.

Wulff said the football staff is actively trying to find Roof a Division II school, mentioning Central Washington as a possibility.

“Absolutely,” Wulff answered when asked if he would recommend Roof to another school.