University of Virginia Library

Lawyer Files Motion
To Reopen MWC Suit

By LAURA HAMMEL

Ralph W. Buxton, attorney
for Mary Washington College
student Brenda Paige Bright,
Monday filed a motion to
reopen her suit against the
college in U.S. District Court in
Richmond.

District Court Judge Albert
V. Byran Jr. had dismissed the
case Dec. 6 on the grounds that
there was no longer any
controversy, after Mary
Washington College officials
agreed to readmit Mrs. Bright.
Mrs. Bright was discharged
from Mary Washington last
December when the Honor
Council found her guilty of
stealing money from a fellow
student.

In filing the motion to
reopen the suit Mr. Buxton
said "Our position is that the
case is not moot; there is a
matter of controversy because
it leaves unresolved the
question of constitutionality of
the honor system."

"We are claiming a lack of
notice," Mr. Buxton added.
"We didn't have enough notice
to argue against the motion for
dismissal."

Council Did Not Have Right'

According to Mr. Buxton
the basic charge is that "the
honor council did not have the
ultimate right to expel her."
He said, "Mary Washington's
honor system is based a great
deal on the University's honor
system and that these two
systems differ from those at
other state supported
institutions in that "students at
the other state-supported
schools do not have the final
authority to expel a student."
This difference is enough to
make the other systems
constitutional," he added.

Mr. Buxton stressed that he
was not just interested in
getting Mrs. Bright back in
school. "The whole question of
the Mary Washington honor
code as it relates to Mary
Washington College is my main
concern."

"If Mrs. Bright were simply
readmitted, would she be
forced to accept the honor
code? Would she be allowed to
matriculate? These are the
questions I must consider," he
added.

University's System In Question

A ruling in favor of Mrs.
Bright would necessarily bring
the legality of the University's
Honor System into question.
The Honor Committee is
studying this consideration
now, according to Gordon
Peerman, Chairman of the
Honor Committee.

At the time of her dismissal,
Mary Washington College was
under the jurisdiction of the
University Board of
Visitors.