No expulsion for students involved in hoax

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen

By

George Washington University President Steven Knapp has no plans to take disciplinary action against a group of students involved in an anti-Muslim flier hoax, a university spokeswoman said yesterday.

"We have established judicial policies and procedures," university spokeswoman Tracy Schario said. "I am confident that President Knapp will let them take their course."

However, Mr. Knapp "reserves the right to intervene" in the university's student-judicial process, she said.

Graduate student Adam Kokesh and senior Brian Tierney with five other students took responsibility Tuesday for the fliers, which contained the phrase "Hate Muslims? So Do We!" The students said the posters were "creative political action" to draw attention to the upcoming Islamo-Facism Awareness Week starting Oct. 22.

Jason Mattera, spokesman for the national conservative group Young America's Foundation said Mr. Knapp's inaction shows political bias and is unfair to the campus chapter of the group, whose name was inserted the fliers.

"He's going to expose himself as a liar," Mr. Mattera said. "When it first emerged, he said we're not going to tolerate it. Now that it turns out it's liberals he's going to show where his political views lie."

Mr. Knapp sent a letter to the group yesterday stating the issue would be dealt with in a "fair and thorough manner."

The group's president, Ron Robinson, asked Mr. Knapp on Wednesday to expel the seven students who admitted posting hundreds of anti-Muslim fliers around the Foggy Bottom campus.

According to the university's Web site, students who are accused of violating the school's student code of conduct are sent a letter from the Office of Student Judicial Services notifying them of the offense and, depending on the severity of the violation, whether the case will be taken up by the University Hearing Board.

The board can decide whether to take disciplinary action — including suspension or expulsion. And students may appeal the rulings, according to the school's code of conduct. The code also states that disciplinary authority is ultimately vested in the school's board of trustees, which includes Mr. Knapp.

It could not be determined whether any of the students had been sent the letters or whether hearings have been scheduled because student case files are confidential. However, Miss Schario said the cases "had not gotten to the judicial process yet."

Mr. Mattera thinks a hearing would not be necessary because the students have admitted to posting the fliers and said they should be suspended immediately.

The Washington Times reported Wednesday that the university's Student Association Executive Vice President Brand Kroeger wrote a letter saying he would "support expulsion."

Messages left for Mr. Kokesh and Mr. Tierney were not returned last night.