Update On University Charges For March Rioters
May 2, 2001
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State’s Office of Judicial Affairs has met with 10 students who were referred by the State College Police Department for allegations of student misconduct resulting from the March 24-25 disturbance on Beaver Avenue in State College. The disturbance occurred after Penn State appeared in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament.
According to the State College Police Department, charges were filed last week against an additional 17 people--including 14 Penn State students--bringing the total number of arrests made by the police department to 55. Charges range from rioting (a felony) to disorderly conduct (a summary offense). These arrests were made as a result of identifications made from photos posted on web pages, tips, and calls to Crimestoppers. Other arrests may be forthcoming.
The 10 students referred to Judicial Affairs have been assigned charges based on the specific allegations included in their individual reports. University Code of Conduct charges have included disorderly conduct; localized disturbance; creating a condition which endangers others, public intoxication, direct threats of harm; harming or attempting to harm another person and exhibitionism.
Of the 10 students charged:
n 3 students have accepted responsibility for their charges and an accompanying sanction.
n 4 students have requested a hearing before the University Hearing Board to review the charges and sanctions, or just the sanction.
n The 3 remaining students are still within their deadline to respond as to whether they wish to accept responsibility or have a hearing.
Sanctions assigned or proposed so far through Judicial Affairs include:
n Expulsion through Fall Semester 2001
n Indefinite Expulsion for minimum of 1 year, and
n Permanent Expulsion.
Any student assigned or accepting a sanction will receive 50 to 100 hours of community service as a re-enrollment condition and may be assigned other educational conditions. Six other students have been recently referred to Judicial Affairs and are awaiting their disciplinary conference with the Judicial Affairs staff.
In addition, Judicial Affairs has been informed by a State College Police Department representative that approximately 20 more student referrals will be forthcoming to the office within the next few days.
State College Police are still seeking identities of rioters whose photos are available on the Borough Web sites at http://www.gov.state-college.pa.us.
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Contact: Christy Rambeau or Tysen Kendig at 814-865-7517.