Ohio State gives update on investigation of campus-area riots

COLUMBUS – Letters of interim suspension were delivered Tuesday (11/26) to 10 students cited or arrested by police during the campus-area disturbances following the football game between The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, said Bill Hall, vice president for Student Affairs.

Hall said Ohio State officials are working to identify students, to begin the judicial process and to collect information from witnesses who can identify people involved in the riots.

“Many students have begun to come forth with helpful information as well as their own video and still photography,” Hall said. “Hopefully, this new information will allow us to identify those most involved in criminal activity, which would likely lead to more arrests.”

Any such information would be immediately turned over to Columbus Police. The phone number to provide information directly to Columbus Police is (614) 645-4462.

Also Tuesday, the Council on Student Affairs, a university governance committee that advises the vice president for student affairs, passed a resolution strongly condemning the weekend’s activities. The resolution calls upon Student Affairs to conduct a study into the underlying causes for such behavior, recommends that faculty play a proactive role in seeking solutions, and suggests the council review the Code of Student Conduct when it reconvenes Winter Quarter.

Hall said at this point, the university has been able to determine that 15 of the 64 people cited or arrested by the Columbus Division of Police are Ohio State students. The students were arrested or cited for underage drinking, disorderly conduct, public indecency, setting off fireworks, open burning, criminal damaging, rioting and resisting arrest. Another student was arrested in Ohio Stadium by University Police for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

After reviewing the violations, Hall said 10 students were cited with violations sufficient to warrant interim suspension from the university.

Richard Hollingsworth, associate vice president for Student Affairs, said interim suspension means students are prohibited from being on campus for any reason other than to attend hearings at Student Judicial Affairs. Students living in residence halls are required to move out within five hours of the suspension.

Hollingsworth said students have three days to appeal an interim suspension. Then an appeals hearing is conducted by Student Affairs, usually within two to three days, to determine whether the student presents a threat of harm to the community. If a student’s appeal is denied, the suspension stands, and a full hearing will be held at a later date.

Hall also said six people arrested by Columbus police identified themselves as students from other colleges or universities. Others arrested had no known affiliation with Ohio State and a sizeable number had out-of-town addresses, Hall said.

In addition, Hall is notifying the vice presidents at those universities about the arrests, as well as officials at all public Ohio universities and at other major research universities in the Midwest.

Hall said the university has received numerous phone calls and e-mails from alumni, students, parents and other citizens regarding the off-campus riots.

“Most of the people have been supportive of the university,” Hall said. “They have expressed disappointment or anger about the activities of a few who put such a bad light on what should have been a triumphant moment in university history.”

In the days and weeks ahead, Hall said the university will:

• Seek identities of those students involved in the most violent activities;

• Collaborate with police and prosecutors in pressing criminal charges; and

• Work within the university system to punish students involved in the riots.