University of Virginia Library

W and M Incident

Last year W and M was the scene
of a much publicized incident
involving parietal rules and the
enforcement of those rules.
According to Bill Sizemore,
executive editor of the W and M
semi-weekly newspaper, the Flat
Hat, two couples were caught in
the dorms during non parietal hours
and were subsequently suspended
for the remainder of the semester
by the Judiciary Committee.
However, when appealed to the
Federal court in Norfolk, the
students were reinstated by Judge
John Mackenzie because the
enforcement of the dorm rules was
applied arbitrarily. The judge went
on to reaffirm the constitutionality
of the college's dorm regulations
such regulations required uniform
enforcement. Hence, the students
were re-enrolled in the college.

During the incident, however,
there occurred a sit-in at the
administration offices by some
'couple of hundred students.'
Several of the students were
subsequently arrested for rifling
one of the dean's offices. This was
well publicized by the local
newspapers and served to increase
parental and administration
concern over W & M's policy as
regards dorm rules, parietal hours
and the enforcement of such
regulations.