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Arrested WM Students to Complete Community ServiceBy Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, June 03, 2011 Five students charged with trespassing at the College of William and Mary will have their charges dismissed if they complete community service within one year. The students, all members of the Living Wage Coalition, acknowledged that evidence would show they were guilty of trespassing in the Brafferton Building office ofW&M President Taylor Reveley on April 21. Williamsburg-James City County General District Court Judge Colleen Killilea ordered them to complete eight hours of community service with a nonprofit by June 2012, providing written proof on the nonprofit’s letterhead. They also have to pay court fees. If their community service is completed, the charges will be dismissed and they will not be required to come to court. Seniors Maggie Russolello, Emily Glasson and Kathleen Brower, along with recent graduates Katie Dalby and Addie Alexander were arrested at approximately 12:50 a.m. on April 21 after spending 16 hours sitting in Reveley’s office in protest. The students told the administration they would not leave until Reveley pledged to pay the college’s housekeepers higher wages. Just before midnight, Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler told the students they no longer had permission to remain in the office building and directed them to leave within 10 minutes to avoid arrest; they were arrested by campus police at 12:50 a.m. The Living Wage Coalition began its campaign in August 2010, and aims to see the university’s housekeepers, who make between $9 and $11 an hour, have their wages raised to $15 an hour. Throughout the school year, the LWC members asked Reveley and the Board of Visitors why the college wouldn’t consider raising the workers’ wages. In each instance, Reveley said the college has had unprecedented cuts to state funding and as a result, has given no base salary increases for any employees in five of the past 10 years. The college has said it would cost $4.5 million to bring all college employees to at least $15 an hour. In addition to being charged with trespassing, the students received about five codes of conduct violations from the college, most having to do with being disruptive. Violations are handled on a case-by-case basis, and can be handled as informal resolutions, administrative hearings or committee hearings. They can result in warnings, probation with loss of privileges, removal from residence halls, suspension or dismissal, depending on the severity of the violations. Russolello said in April that she intends to continue the fight for living wages when she returns to campus in the fall. Read more about the campaign here. |
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Comments
Hordes of Southerners defended both atrocities by foot-dragging and appeals to legal obedience and peace-keeping.
"We hate slavery and Jim Crow" they said in both cases "but it is not the right time to end them."
"We can't afford to end these practices" they added.
"To end slavery and Jim Crow would be socially disruptive. Abolitionists and civil-rights advocates are lawbreakers" others cried. "They have no respect for the laws and should be punished like John Brown" shouted many.
How sad and tragic to see W&M and their adult overseers to be on this disturbing and deplorable side of the issue once again. Will they just keep doing this century after century, never growing up? As with all types of justice, economic justice delayed is justice denied.
Stop the excuse-making and foot-dragging, for it is clear that is all it is. Try taking a mature, courageous, and forward-thinkin g stand for once in your long history, Tribe.
Students at WM very much want to raise worker's wages, but realize that this is difficult at a time when the school has no money and state funding is dropping. LWC, however, wants to more than double the wages of workers to a completely impossible figure for the school to reach. For the past year, there arguments have consistently been devoid of facts and their logic is faulty. Taylor Reveley has repeatedly met with them and was willing to work with them. However, they completely rejected any efforts of compromise, sticking to their all-or-nothing approach. Since then, they have spent time rudely attacking Reveley and the school with vicious and often ad-hominem attacks, and people are fed up. A recent poll was created on facebook (admittedly completely unscientific) asking whether students supported Reveley or the LWC. Over 3,000 people (mostly students, and probably over half the student body) responded, and over 95% supported Reveley.
So, for those not as familiar with the issue on campus, please do not confuse the campus overwhelming rejection of the LWC with a lack of support for higher wages. The College, students, and faculty all want this; the goals of the LWC are merely unreasonable and impossible to achieve. The administration has been exceedingly generous in dealing with them, and has the support of virtually the entire student body.
These students saw something they didn't agree with and descided to protest - good for them.
They chose a non-violent protest - double good for them.
The people in the office (not the administration) dealt with the sit-in in stride - good for them.
After 16 hours the kids were asked to leave - great patience - and the kids refused.
At that point it became trespassing. The cops were called and the kids arrested - way to go, laws upheld.
The judge administered a slightly less strict verdict than I would have but fair none the less - yeah justice system.
Had it been me, I would have had the kids split the cost of the overtime or equivalent comp time that the staff accrued while indulging the kids after normal working hours.
So three cheers for these courageous youth, who have proven they have a solid grasp of the bigger picture and a greater morality. This in spite of the silly and condescending blabber from the legions of local narrow-minded, selfish, and backwards-think ing locals.
Hip hip hooray for these students!
Respectfully submitted,
a 41 year-old W&M PhD alumni
As usual, the judge handed out wrist slaps. No wonder the banksters aren't being prosecuted, what's the use????
These people should have gotten a few months county time. Actions have consequences.