In April 2012, men’s basketball team head coach Larry Shyatt announced that junior forward Leonard Washington was suspended indefinitely from playing on the university’s team for his upcoming senior year.
At the time, UW coaching staff and players had no further comments concerning the issue. Yet reports coming from other sources such as the Wyoming Tribune Eagle stated Washington’s suspension occurred after he was involved in a feud with another student, Galand Thaxton, about a missing laptop computer.
“We have certain expectations and standards that members of our program must meet,” Shyatt said. “At this time, Leonard has not met those expectations and standards.”
The Wyoming Athletics Department has just recently announced that Washington has been fully reinstated back into the Cowboy basketball program.
“Leonard has met our criteria for earning his way back onto this team and has done everything Athletics Director Tom Burman and I have asked of him,” Shyatt said. “We are pleased that he will have the opportunity to earn his degree this spring and look forward to him continuing to help this team.”
According to the Laramie Police Department, Washington and fellow UW basketball player Shakir Smith entered Thaxton’s residence without permission between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. on April 15. Washington proceeded to accuse Thaxton and another person of trying to break into Washington’s residence.
This came after Thaxton had reported the theft of a laptop computer and named both Washington and Smith as possible suspects.
Thaxton disputed Washington’s claim of trying to break into his residence and a brief fight ensued. Washington struck both Thaxton and Jackson Bailey with a closed fist, according to the department.
Both students then left to attend basketball practice but returned later with UW players Afam Muojeke and Derrious Gilmore. The UW players had eventually left Thaxton’s residence, according to the report.
Washington was charged with criminal entry and battery, according to reports. He pled guilty and was sentenced to a $240 fine and 10 days in jail for the entry charge, and $290 and 21 days in jail for battery.
The sentences were suspended and Washington received one year of unsupervised probation for the battery charge and six months unsupervised probation for the entry charge.
