Separate disciplinary policies within the ISU athletic department led to shuffles of the football roster Monday by coach Dan McCarney, an athletics official said Tuesday.

Three players — Tyease Thompson, Jerry Gair and Nick Davidson — were dismissed. McCarney reinstated defensive end Cephus Johnson.

Thompson, a reserve running back, and Gair, a reserve defensive back, were arrested Jan. 24 and accused of looking for money in a residence hall room, according to court records. They have pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted burglary.

McCarney said Davidson, Thompson and Gair were dismissed for undisclosed team violations.

Johnson was reinstated after he successfully appealed his suspension from the team after a January incident at an Ames bar resulting in a charge of assault causing injury.

Thompson, Gair and Johnson are still awaiting their court dates.

Both McCarney and Bill Smith, associate athletic director for sports administration, said disciplinary actions with student-athletes are a complex situation, especially for those outside of the program.

“This does not have to do with a matter of innocence or guilt,” McCarney said. “I am not a judge or a jury. This has to do with accountability and responsibility on a daily basis.”

Smith said the incidents leading to Thompson, Gair and Davidson’s dismissals and the suspension and subsequent reinstatement of Johnson deal with two different policies.

“You have two different policies when you talk about suspensions and dismissals,” Smith said. “You have one regarding team rules — which is the one [Thompson, Gair and Davidson] were dismissed by — and you have one regarding criminal violations.

“The team rules policies are developed by each head coach and can be more restrictive when it comes to what will or won’t be tolerated.”

According to the Student-Athlete Services handbook, if an athlete violates a state, local or federal law involving a violent action which results in charges being filed, the athlete shall be suspended by the athletic director until the charges are addressed by the legal system. Also according to the handbook, the suspension is put in place to protect the student-athlete and keep the university or the athletic department from prejudging the situation.

“If a student-athlete is suspended under the criminal violation policy, they cannot practice or participate in games with the team, but they can still receive financial aid and still use services, such as team trainers,” Smith said. “Once the situation has gone through the legal system further, action can be taken.”

This was the case with Johnson. When the criminal violation policy is enacted, the student-athlete can appeal the suspension. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the athletic director stating the reason for the appeal. The athletic director then calls together the Appeals Committee, whose job it is to lift or modify the suspension or leave it in place.

McCarney said Johnson is practicing with the team, but his status can be re-evaluated after his appearance in court.

Many details regarding the incidents and factors leading up to the suspensions and dismissals remain confidential, McCarney said, but student-athletes need to be held accountable for their actions.

“I think I am very honest and very up front with my players about what the team rules are and how they work,” McCarney said. “It boils down to conduct on a daily basis throughout the year, so sometimes what you read may not be the whole deal because they don’t always know the whole story.