Editor,

The treatment of Grey Norton and Michael Cadoux, the two students who were suspended last week, is outrageous. Professor Thomas’ behavior has been unprofessional, and Dean of Students Ann Quinley’s handling of the matter has been poor, to say the least. I write this letter in protest of the lack of due process in Grey and Mike’s J-Board hearing and the unprecedented harshness of their sentence. Grey and Mike were suspended for the remainder of the academic year. They are not allowed to attend classes, and they were given 72 hours to move out. This is severely harsh punishment given for a case established as a verbal dispute. This punishment even surpasses the sentence given two years ago for the student who was found guilty of posting discriminatory fliers on the door of a gay RA. That was a hate crime. This is a verbal altercation.

Professor Thomas’ libelous remarks in the Oct. 4th TSL article describing the incident shows her disregard for Grey and Mike’s right to a fair hearing. She claims that racist and gender-based comments were made by Grey and Mike, but then did not follow through on pressing charges against Grey and Mike for these supposed comments. These claims are entirely unsubstantiated and have been denied by Grey and Mike. The unfortunate nature of this case is that no one will ever know what happened because there were no impartial witnesses to the incident. The lack of evidence has pitted the professor’s word against the students’ word, leaving the students at a horrible disadvantage. Professor Thomas’ libelous comments prevented Grey and Mike from receiving a fair hearing from an impartial J-Board because, as mentioned before, the article was published Oct. 4th, exposing potential jurors to biased material. Grey and Mike received their sentencing on Oct. 12th. Professor Thomas’ comments have negatively shaped the student body’s understanding of the incident. Yesterday I asked a student to consider signing a petition asking for a new hearing for Grey and Mike. The student replied that from what he had read in The Student Life, Grey and Mike should have been punished more than they already have. Others have commented that they will not support racists. Professor Thomas’ unsubstantiated comments have forever damaged Grey and Mike’s reputation beyond repair and prevented the possibility that Grey and Mike will ever receive a fair hearing.

To compound the problem, Dean of Students Ann Quinley has grossly mishandled the situation. On the day that Professor Thomas filed her complaint against Grey and Mike, Dean Quinley instructed her to prepare a written statement of the incident for submission to J-Board. Meanwhile, Dean Quinley failed to notify Grey and Mike that they had been served with J-Board. Two weeks after Professor Thomas filed her complaint, Mike scheduled an appointment with Dean Quinley to discuss the situation with Professor Thomas, completely unaware that the matter had been brought to J-Board. It was at that meeting that Dean Quinley finally notified Mike that Professor Thomas had filed a complaint and that he should probably prepare a written statement as well. By this time, two weeks later, both Mike’s and Grey’s memory of the event had grown a bit fuzzy. This put them at a disadvantage because Professor Thomas’ statement had been prepared immediately after the incident while she was still able to recall exact quotes. Then Grey and Mike were denied the opportunity to press counter-charges against Professor Thomas. The student code provides for residents to place counter-claims against other residents. Dean Quinley also did not advise Grey and Mike of the gravity of the situation. It was difficult for Grey and Mike to find impartial faculty representation that didn’t have personal connections to Professor Thomas. Not understanding the potential seriousness of the matter, they both went into the hearing with no representation. Again, another disadvantage. In her role as Dean of Students, Dean Quinley should have acted in the interests of Grey and Mike. She did not. She didn’t even help them find an impartial faculty member to represent them in the J-Board hearing. The Dean of Students is supposed to be the administrative support for students in situations like these. Dean Quinley clearly did not act in the best interests of Grey and Mike.

Grey and Mike were not afforded due process. This much is clear. The misunderstanding of the situation is widespread, as evidenced by the editorial in the Oct. 12th issue of TSL arguing for Grey and Mike’s expulsion. They are not a threat in any way to this community, and they deserve the chance to at least be fairly represented before the community. There are petitions circulating asking for a new hearing for Grey and Mike. I ask you to join with your fellow students in support of them. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Lindsey Wollschlager ’04