University of Virginia Library

300 Demonstrate

Protesters Punished In Williamsburg

By Brian Siegel
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

At a "dorm-in" last Sunday protesting
college social restrictions, 10 William and
Mary students were suspended on the
spot by the Dean of Men.

The protest was sponsored by the
Student Association Assembly: the
college's student government organization,
and was endorsed by the Board of
Student Affairs. The BSA is made up of
students, faculty, and administrators -
including the Dean of Men.

The students had been suspended after
coeds were found in their rooms Sunday.
About 300 students participated in the
protest according to Tom McDonald, a
student at the college. The Statement of
Rights of the BSA says male students
may not have girls in their rooms at
anytime.

Sunday night a crowd of 500 students
demonstrated in protest of the suspensions in
front of the President's house. Davis Y.
Paschall, college president, reduced the penalty
to disciplinary probation Monday.

In his announcement dropping the suspensions,
Mr. Paschall, who had met with the
students after the incident Sunday, said the
group pressure had influenced the penalty
reduction.

Several of the students on probation plan to
appeal the penalty to the college's Board of
Visitors. Disciplinary probation makes the
students subject to expulsion for further
infractions of school rules at William and Mary.

The Student Association Assembly was not
satisfied by the president's Monday announcement,
however. They adopted a resolution
stating that only the complete withdrawal of all
charges would be satisfactory to the student
organization.

Involved in the arguments are the students'
rights to due process. The students claim they
were selected out of the 300 protesters and that
the dean's action, and the president's subsequent
agreement, was in violation of the Rights
Statement for students approved by the Board
of Visitors.

The president stated that a precedent would
be set in this case to be followed in the future.
Students argue that the president has no right
to abrogate the provisions of the college's
Rights Statement.

Another question raised by many students
at William and Mary is whether the new Rights
Statement, now being drafted, will be adhered
to upon its completion and approval by the
Board of Visitors.

In a meeting yesterday, the BSA resolved to
cease further discussion on the proposed
Statement of Rights and Responsibilities until
the Board of Visitors gives assurance that the
new Rights Statement will be followed by the
Administration, assuming it's accepted.

The effect of this motion will be a halt on
the new Rights Statement. Also today, the SAA
held a referendum of students to determine
their opinion concerning future dorm-ins at
William and Mary.

Another resolution passed by the SAA
declared that the president's action in the case
of the 10 students was unacceptable and that
the president should suspend all penalties.

The president has announced that any of the
students who wish to submit an appeal must do
so by today. They will be told when the appeals
come before the Board of Visitors later.

As of yesterday, the date for the next
meeting of William and Mary's Board of
Visitors was unknown.