University of Virginia Library

Two Protest Counselor Move

Students Put On Probation,
Request Right To 'Counsel'

By Jay Steer
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Two second-year students,
Hank Chase and David Longfellow,
put on counselor probation
last Wednesday by the Executive
Committee on Counselors
on charges of unacceptable conduct
in the dorms, have officially
complained to several university
and outside authorities.

The charges were brought up
by first floor Dunnington counselor
John Cline after a series of
incidents beginning last semester
with several 'dirty suite' reports,
culminating in three signs
posted by the students which
Senior Counselor Steve Pryplesh
termed "disrespectful".

Anarchists Run

The incidents began last semester
when Mr. Chase and companions
posted a sign in front
of the suite saying "Anarchists
Run". They were asked to remove
the signs, but within a week
posted another notice: "Beria is
Dead, Cline and Pryplesh Live."

Late in the year, after the
maids refused to clean the suite,
these students posted several
signs in reference to the maid
service.

At this time, the students were
told by Mr. Cline that he was
"just looking for a chance" to
kick those students out of the
dorms.

In a letter which appeared in
last Friday's Cavalier Daily, the
two students involved forecasted
that they would appeal the conviction
on three grounds: 1) they
were not represented by counsel
at their hearing, 2) they had not
been informed of their charges
sufficiently ahead of time, and
3) they were not present when
Mr. Cline presented his testimony
against them.

The students also claimed that
they were never confronted by
Mr. Cline with the information
that the actions they committed
were illegal.

Chuck Wood, Chairman of
Alderman Road Counselors, and
Chairman of the Executive Committee,
offered that the accused
were not present at their hearing
because they refused to be questioned
unless they were represented
by "counsel."

Specific Procedures

Although there are no specific
committee procedures regarding
counsel at the Executive Committee
hearing, Chuck Wood refused
to permit the "counsel,"
two graduate law students, to help
the accused at the meeting.

Chuck Wood mentioned that
counselor probation can always
be appealed to administration
authorities, and that this should
be their probable recourse.

To rectify the situation, these
students have talked with representatives
of the Alderman Road
Committee, the American Civil
Liberties Union, and with a member
of the Student Council.

They obtained the services of
Jaques Jones, a member of the
Student Council, to ask the Council
at its meeting tonight to reprimand
the Executive Committee
for improper procedure.

Radio Editorial

In a radio editorial Sunday
afternoon, Pete Agnew of WUVA
explained the matter, and also
asked for the Student Council to
reprimand Mr. Wood.

In another action, the two students
two weeks ago, lodged a
formal complaint with Dean Bice
against counselors Cline and
Pryplesh. The complaint was
handed down to Chuck Wood
who is looking into the matter.

The students charged the counselors
with "malfeasance and
neglect" of their counselor duties.

Points of Conflict

The students also have several
other points of conflict with the
Executive Committee. First, the
committee claimed that not a
single member of the suite supported
their actions. Mr. Chase
said he had a signed statement
from every member of the suite
supporting all their actions.

Secondly, the students claim
that the counselors at the Committee
hearing were instructed
not to listen to any testimony
of Mr. Chase. Mr. Chase did not
speak at the hearing, but complained
of prejudice anyway.