Letter to the editor: Eastern should apologize for Walker incident
Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: Opinions
If what The DEN has reported about Robert Walker's status on Facebook - following removal from campus and results from the investigation - is true, President Bill Perry, the University Police Department and the athletic department owe the campus, community and Walker an apology.
The police department reported to The DEN they confirmed Walker was no longer on campus, but found it necessary to post fliers at the basketball game. That makes no sense and should be considered slander considering all parties involved had concluded there were no actual threats made, since the police department knew he wasn't on campus.
If what President Perry said about finding no threats were actually made is true, the university should not be investigating any further for disciplinary actions. What are you going to do, punish him for being excited for his birthday?
Threats should be taken seriously and I hope the university and police department continue to do so; however, before you ban a student from campus, at least make sure you're right to ban him. Maybe question him at the police department instead of sending him packing.
If the university administration and police department do not handle the rest of this situation correctly by apologizing and subsequently dropping the ongoing investigation, both departments' reputations will be tarnished. They currently have lost my respect, and may lose others' as well. Admit the mistake and apologize.
Elliott McGill
Senior history major
The police department reported to The DEN they confirmed Walker was no longer on campus, but found it necessary to post fliers at the basketball game. That makes no sense and should be considered slander considering all parties involved had concluded there were no actual threats made, since the police department knew he wasn't on campus.
If what President Perry said about finding no threats were actually made is true, the university should not be investigating any further for disciplinary actions. What are you going to do, punish him for being excited for his birthday?
Threats should be taken seriously and I hope the university and police department continue to do so; however, before you ban a student from campus, at least make sure you're right to ban him. Maybe question him at the police department instead of sending him packing.
If the university administration and police department do not handle the rest of this situation correctly by apologizing and subsequently dropping the ongoing investigation, both departments' reputations will be tarnished. They currently have lost my respect, and may lose others' as well. Admit the mistake and apologize.
Elliott McGill
Senior history major
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Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Student
posted 3/05/09 @ 7:51 AM CST
Mr McGill,
For someone who is majoring in history you sure have not studied it very much. Do Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech mean anything to you? Did you consider taht there were other things posted on his facebook page that he deleted once things started to go down. (Continued…)
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