University of Virginia Library

Press Conference

It has been the understanding of most
that these records were confidential and
could not be seen by anyone outside the
University without the permission of the
student involved. Obviously, this is not
the case.

It should be made clear that some
offices do keep their files closed.
Unfortunately, however, there is no established
policy for the University as a whole. The facts
of this week's case are revealing.

On August 18 of last summer, five members
of the Virginia Veterans For Peace held a press
conference in Richmond in coordination with
the Citizens Commission of Inquiry. The
testimony given by the five was in reference to
war crimes and was aimed at implicating
military policies and policy makers such as
President Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Mendel
Rivers and others.