University of Virginia Library

Shannon Appoints Panel
To Investigate Harassment

By TOM SAUNDERS

About 100 black students and
members of the Black Student Alliance
assembled in President Edgar F. Shannon
Jr.'s Pavilion VIII offices late Friday
afternoon to hear statements on the
progress made into the investigation of
the actions of University Security Officer
Walter Chaffin.

The black students, in numbers from
30 to 50 according to one observer, had
been awaiting the statements since early
in the day in Pavilion VIII.

When the President's spokesman
announced at 5:30 that a statement
would be given at 6 p.m. the crowd grew
to about 100 people.

At 6:45 p.m. an aide to the President
read a statement naming the members of
a personnel advisory committee which
would conduct the investigation.

Law Prof. Marion Kellogg will chair
the committee composed of Student
Health Director James L. Camp III, Law
Prof. Thomas F. Bergin, Assoc. Education
Prof. Nathan Johnson and Alderman
Library Circulation Director Roy Land.

The aide also announced that the
committee would meet at 10 a.m.
Saturday.

The Committee held a closed meeting
as scheduled.

Dismissal Demands

President Shannon announced
Thursday afternoon that he would order
"a complete investigation by responsible
University officials," after about 200
black students demanding the dismissal of
Mr. Chaffin assembled on the Lawn
Thursday morning.

The black students claim Mr. Chaffin
unjustly arrested Engineering Asst. Prof.
Wesley Harris and a black student last
year.

Mr. Shannon turned over the
investigation to University Business
Manager Richard Shutts who delegated it
to Employee Relations Director H.
LeRoss Brown.

Mr. Brown asked that a personnel
advisory committee investigate.

Mr. Chaffin has asked to be relieved of
his duties during the investigation.

Student Support

Mr. Kellogg said that Security Director
W. Wade Bromwell agree to make Mr.
Chaffin available to the committee during
the investigation.

In a statement released early Friday
the BSA said it was involved "in a
struggle which we feel has significance
not only for ourselves but for the entire
University community. . . ."

"The struggle is specifically to remove
an officer from the Security Department
of the University who we feel has made
actions against two of our number, which
threatens the welfare of the rest of us;
but more generally the struggle is against
all forms of harassment, inconsideration,
and abuse of authority on the part of any
of the official arms of the University."

"Only in the recent past," continued
the statement, "have black people even
begun to matriculate at this institution in
numbers... Yet when blacks arrived on
the scene, instead of a response of
welcome from this so-called intelligent
community in search of the truth, we
have been met with discrimination,
disregard, deceit, indifference and
disrespect.

"We have even been told that, in
effect, the morale of the security force is
more important than the well-being of
the students."

Student Council President Tom
Collier, in a statement released Friday
afternoon, said:

"As president of the student body and
on behalf of a vast majority of students, I
wish to express support of the black
students in their search for an immediate
solution to harassment of blacks."