University of Virginia Library

PRESIDENT DARDEN PRESENT

Asked by the Rector for a statement on Bocock, Martin, and Talman, President Darden spoke
in substance as follows

On Monday afternoon, April 6th, Mr. and Mrs. W——— came to see me. They were almost
beside themselves with grief over their daughter. Facing them was about the worst thing in my
experience. The girl had come home that day in a dazed condition, apparently beaten and
brutalized, covered with bruises

The next day I met with Mr. Bocock, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Talman in this room. They said
they had something to tell me. I told them I didn't want to trespass on the Student Council
I told them that anyone who struck the girl would leave the University the moment I knew his
name. I retired from the room at their request. When I came back, they said they would withhold
comments until the jurisdiction of the case was settled. When the discipline of the case was
referred back to me, I told Mr. Fletcher to proceed with the investigation. You know his story.

Questioned about the penalties, Mr. Darden said they were neither the same for all offenders,
nor too severe in any instance. He had set them himself, partly on Mr. Fletcher's recommendations
and partly on what he knew himself. The offenses differed in degree and so did the
penalties. He had modified one of these three suspensions to help the boy get into medical school,
He was unwilling to modify the penalties in any other way except where necessary to protect the
boys' military commissions. On his request, Mr. Fletcher had not made his recommendations until
he had consulted three faculty members, two of whom had spent much time on it

In response to questions about the assessment of guilt among Bocock, Martin, and Talman,
the President gave a summary of their individual conduct that differed in no material way from
Mr. Fletcher's estimate. Mr. Darden added that there was not a shadow of doubt in his mind that
they could have stopped the party any time they liked without the slightest necessity for reporting
or tale-bearing

President Darden having retired from the room, Mr. Valentine presented an argument on behalf
of the three suspended students. Urging the Board to consider the economic position of the three
students and the worry they have endured in recent weeks, he proposed that the Board reverse the
President's decision and modify the penalties so as to give the three their degrees in June

After obtaining the agreement of the Board to some modifications in the procedure previously
agreed on for the hearings to be held on May 27th, Mr. Valentine and the other attorneys and the
students withdrew from the room.