An appeal to the college judiciary council by two students accused of disorderly conduct, verbal abuse and underage drinking in a September altercation with a professor has been turned down, according to one of the students, who said the case is currently under final consideration by President Peter Stanley.

"Our appeals were denied," said Mike Cadoux, who, along with fellow sophomore Grey Norton, was accused by Harwood Faculty Resident and Professor of English Valorie Thomas of participating in the confrontation, which took place outside her faculty residence in Harwood Court.

"He has a wider scope of things," Cadoux said of Stanley, "as opposed to an appeals board, which just deals with a violation of the student code and is limited in the scope" of what it can consider in granting or denying an appeal.

Philosophy Professor Fred Sontag, who agreed to assist them in their appeal after the Judicial Board placed the students on a one-year suspension, is still advising Cadoux and Norton. Noting concerns by a number of students that the sentence was overly harsh, Sontag has said he feels the Judicial Board was influenced by unsubstantiated accusations, including the alleged use of racial remarks that were not part of the formal charges.

"We want a compromise that would appeal to both sides," Sontag said. He has been acting as an intermediary between the students and President Stanley, who Sontag said has previously considered only two such cases.

"He’s very willing to work out a compromise that protects both the procedures of the College and the future of the [students]," said Sontag.

Cadoux was unequivocal in condemning the judiciary process.

"I don’t feel it’s been very fair at all towards any students, not just myself," he said, citing concerns with J-Board procedure. "It allows students to be railroaded by a system they don’t know anything about and by deans who are there to act basically as prosecuting attorneys."

Dean of Students Ann Quinley said she thought the involved parties had been treated with fairness. "No matter which way this case had been resolved, some people would have felt it wasn’t resolved fairly," she said.

Cadoux, who said he wants to return to school next semester, hoped the resolution of his case would shed light on larger problems within the judiciary process at Pomona. "I hope the one light that will come from this is that the J-Board process will be altered, and that basically students can’t be suspended or expelled and have their lives partially changed because of hearsay."

Stanley was out of town and Thomas could not be reached for comment at press time.