University of Virginia Library

Colloquium

Condemnation Of Racial Acts Demanded

By HAROLD DUNBAR

—Ed.)

Wesley L. Harris, a black
man and assistant professor of
aeronautics at the University of
Virginia was arrested by the
Charlottesville Police
Department on December 23,
1971. The incident which has
prompted black student
charges of police harassment
and abuse of authority has
resulted in the leave of absence
of a University Department of
Security's officer pending an
official investigation.

A recent development in
the case, the subject of a March
23rd Richmond
Times-Dispatch news article,
indicates that the original
charge against Dr. Harris of
assault and battery on a police
officer which resulted in a
nolle prosequi order by
Commonwealth's Attorney
John T. Camblos may be
prosecuted.

Lately due to much of the
misunderstanding surrounding
this case, it has become
apparent that there is a need to
make the public aware of the
particulars involved. It is also
felt that the time has come to
clearly set out the sequence of
events which led to the March
23rd Black Student Alliance's
protest at President Shannon's
office and the subsequent
investigation by the University
Personnel Advisory
Committee.

Sometime prior to
December 23, 1971, an
appointment was made for Dr.
Harris through the office of
James E. Baulie, Research
Administrator for the Research
Laboratories for the
Engineering Sciences (RULES),
at the University Department
of Security. The opposition of
this appointment was to have
Dr. Harris fingerprinted in
completion of a security check
by the Atomic Energy
Commission.

On the morning of
December 23rd, pursuant to
the appointment, Dr. Harris
went to the Department of
Security at which time the
alleged assault and battery
took place on officer Walter
Chaffin.

White it is certainly the
charge of the University
Personnel Advisory Committee
to determine exactly what
took place at that time, it must
be noted that, according to Dr.
Harris, at no time did he either
physically touch or orally
abuse with profanity officer
Chaffin. According to Dr.
Harris, the heated discussion
which ensued between him and
the officer resulted from the
latter's hostility and refusal to
act in accord with professional
dictates.

At 11:30 p.m. of the same
day, three Charlottesville
policemen called at the home
of Dr. Harris to make the
arrest. Awaking Mrs. Harris,
who had recently returned
from the hospital, the officers
were informed that her
husband was at work but,
would be contacted
immediately.

Following a call to the
University, Dr. Harris
proceeded home where he
called the desk sergeant of the
Charlottesville Police
Department at approximately
11:45 p.m. The sergeant
apprised Dr. Harris that a
warrant had been sworn out for
his arrest charging an assault
and battery on Walter Chaffin,
and that he would
subsequently be taken into
custody.

Early the next morning
assistant Professor Joseph
Washington posted $1000
bond and Dr. Harris was
released from jail. On
December 24th, following a
decision by the Commonwealth's
Attorney not to
prosecute the charge. President
Edgar Shannon was called and
notified of what had taken
place.

On December 27th, Dr.
Harris met with W. Wade
Bromwell. Director of
Department of Security;
Richard Shutts. Business
Manager; Professor J.B.
Matthews: and Officer Chaffin
at which time the latter
allegedly agreed that he had
had no grounds to swear out
the warrant.

President Shannon was
officially informed in writing
on January 15th, and
responded on February 7th,
stating that the University Vice
President Provost would write
a letter in behalf of Dr. Harris,
endorsing his character and
academic competence, and
placing such in his personnel
file. At a subsequent meeting
wherein the above letter was
given to Dr. Harris, present
were President Shannon, David
Shannon, and Associate
Professor Houston Baker.

On Friday March 3rd,
another meeting was arranged
with President Shannon in
order to check on the status of
the heretofore cited arrest
record. At this time the
executive suggested the
possibility of the University
Special Counsel, Leigh B.
Middledih, pursuing an
expungement procedure.

As a result of not having
received any word as to the
expungement proceeding, on
March 14th, about 3:00 p.m., a
concerned group of eleven
blacks went to President
Shannon's office and tendered
the following matters of
concern: 1) expungement of
the arrest record, 2) dismissal
of Officer Chaffin, and 3)
public statement indicating the
reasons for the officer's
dismissal concomitant with a
denouncement of similar
conduct by University officials.

President Shannon
expressed concern for the
proposal saying that he would
look into the matter while
inviting the entire group back
on Wednesday March 22nd.
Unfortunately, the subsequent
meeting ended with the
executive refusing to press the
matter against Officer Chaffin.
In addition, he admonished the
group against further protest
adverting to the jeopardy that
such might play on the letter
of confidence which had been
placed in Dr. Harris's personnel
file.

Subsequent to this, a
decision was made to deal with
President Shannon in a direct
manner. On March 23rd,
approximately two hundred
black students filed into his
office and staged the sit-in
which led to the decision to
have the questions in regard to
Officer Chaffin investigated.

What Must Happen

This institution is struggling
to rid itself of the last vestiges
of its segregated history. Sadly,
the sequence of events
described above evidence to
black people that social
discrimination and oppression
still exist at the University of
Virginia.

The arrest of Dr. Harris and
the March 28th rearrest of Ron
Colbert stand as examples of
unconscionable and racially
motivated acts that the
University as a whole must
heartily condemn. It is
especially important that those
charged with institutional
responsibility and leadership
act decisively and swiftly, so as
to patently express that this
institution cannot tolerate acts
of social injustice.

Any attempt to do
otherwise can only be
construed as a total lack of
moral courage and a egregious
violation of the public trust
with which we are charged.
These incidents cannot be
whitewashed.