News
Dean of Students hands down suspensions for sit-in
Story by Jeff Osteen | April 29, 2008
Montana Kaimin
Web update 4/29
One floor below where eight students staged a sit-in two weeks ago in the office of University of Montana President George Dennison, each student received his or her reprimand Tuesday.
The eight members of Students for Economic and Social Justice met individually with Charles Couture, UM dean of students, and were all given three days of suspension and instructed to write two letters of apology, one to Dennison and one to his office staff.
"I don’t agree with the charges,” said Matt Fennell, an SESJ member who participated in the sit-in, “but that doesn’t mean I’m going to protest them.”
If students are dissatisfied with the decisions made by Couture, they have a right to protest through a hearing with University Court. None of the eight students said they planned to protest, but member Ella Torti said the group would meet Tuesday night to decide whether individuals should appeal.
Fennell said he was told in his meeting with Couture that if he appealed to the court, it could decide to impose further discipline.
Fennell said that he was given the option to serve his suspension in the fall, when it wouldn’t interfere with finals, but students who plan on graduating this spring did not have that option.
Kendra Kallevig’s suspension will stretch from Friday through Tuesday. She will graduate next month having received high honors, including the Outstanding Student Leader Award.
In addition to the suspensions, each student must pay the fines for trespassing. Torti, one of the SESJ sit-in participants, said the fine with court fees came to $151, but she took an option of 30 community service hours instead.
Craig Shannon, a Missoula attorney, represented all eight students pro bono.
“This group of students hold themselves to the highest standard of ethics,” Shannon said. “If we don’t speak up, our freedoms are gone.”
The Kaimin was denied access to the meetings between Couture and the students, despite repeated requests to be included. The Kaimin solicited an opinion from Mike Meloy, attorney for the Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, who sent a fax to Couture.
The fax was received after the meetings ended around 2:30 p.m., but urged Couture to include the press in future meetings. Meloy wrote that the meeting should have been public under the Montana Open Meetings Law.
Each of the eight students agreed to waive their right to privacy and to have a Kaimin reporter included, but the requests were still denied.
“As I understand it, each of the students involved in your meetings have waived the right of privacy,” Meloy wrote. “In that event, your meetings must be open.”
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Comments
Continued proof: act like children, get treated like children.
I mean, when was the last time somebody got suspended from school? Junior High when you put gum in a girl’s hair?
I am impressed that the SESJ CHICKENS are afraid to appeal the decision because there might be further punishment doled out. Just goes to show that there are, indeed, consequences for acting like spoiled little know-it-all brats.
Have fun sitting at home for three days, idiots. On the bright side, maybe you can all bawl together.
BOO HOO HOO.
Posted by Fred Stapleton on 04/29/2008 at 7:57 pm
Oh and smooth move, Chuck Couture, for banning the press.
Secret tribunals are really effective means of instilling trust in the University, aren’t they?
Posted by Fred Stapleton on 04/29/2008 at 7:58 pm
Fred- If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly is it you do when you’re not preoccupied with trashing student protesters on this website?
Posted by Charles Copeland on 04/30/2008 at 8:31 am
I believe “Fred Stapleton” writes articles for the Kaimin in his free time. I’m rather sick of these disgusting comments that only serve to provoke angry dialogue and get more hits on the article. Please stop.
Posted by Saara Snow on 05/01/2008 at 11:15 pm
It’s a power-struggle. Students try to force a change and the administration tells them to get bent. The problem is that the administration, if you’re a student, has more power than you do. So it looks like you have to accept the punishment and smile.
Or do you? If I were an SESJ person, I would appeal. I think the “little guy” has a real chance to win. UM broke the law by failing to make the meetings public. The administration has also made public threats of greater punishment… that means you have them scared. They’re scared because they know you could embarrass them or even get your way. SESJ folks, no harm done if you quit, but now is a good time to move forward with your cause by appealing and winning.
Posted by Erik Pritchard on 05/02/2008 at 12:25 pm
