University of Virginia Library

Student Sues For Readmission
Following Honor Dismissal

By MARGARET ALFORD

A former first-year student
has filed suit against the
University for readmission
after her permanent dismissal
last spring on an Honor
violation.

The suit was filed Friday in
Western District Federal Court
here on behalf of Rhonda
Robertson, of Danville, seeking
"injunctive and other
affirmative relief" from the
University Rector and Board of
Visitors. The Honor
Committee found Miss
Robertson guilty of stealing in
May after she was accused of
eating a meal in Contract
Cafeteria without a Contract
meal ticket.

The suit claims that the
University has delegated
authority, responsibility and
control of "student discipline
and behavior" to the Honor
Committee, which the suit
claims is a private organization
and is therefore outside the
control or supervision of the
University and the state
legislature.

The suit maintains that
legislature delegates authority
for running the University to
the Board of Visitors, and that
it is illegal for the Board to
further delegate its authority
to the Honor Committee.

The suit seeks to "redress
deprivation" for Miss
Robertson's rights and
privileges under state statutes
and immunities under due
process. It also contends that
the sub-delegation of power
and authority from the
University to the Honor
Committee "was and is
invalid," and that the Honor
Committee was without legal
authority to expel her.

According to the suit, the
expulsion violated Miss
Robertson's rights to due
process of law because the
committee offered "no
standard of guilt upon which
the triers of fact could base
their decision of guilt or
innocence."

The Committee's decision
to dismiss her "could not be
supported by the evidence
under a legally accepted
standard of determining guilt,"
the suit added.

Miss Robertson's attorney is
requesting a temporary
restraining order and/or a
preliminary injunction to keep
the University from refusing to
readmit Miss Robertson, She
completed the spring semester
since her trial was not held
until after exams, but cannot
return this fall.

The attorney, J. L. Williams
of Danville, said Monday that
he had filed the suit Friday,
and that the University must
respond within 20 days of the
filing date. He added that he
hoped to "push for some
action before then" to begin
court proceedings early, in
order that Miss Robertson's
education be interrupted as
little as possible.

A federal marshal had still
not served notice of the suit to
the University late yesterday
afternoon, and University
officials declined to comment
until they could study the case.
Honor Committee Chairman
Mike Miller and Vice Chairman
Mark Friedman also declined
comment until they could
study the suit.