Editor’s note: The Flyer’s mission statement states that we strive to “report news and provide a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to the Lewis University community…” I believe this article does this through all the information that it provides. Students are curious about what’s going on around campus, and this article gives the news, not gossip. If there’s any question about why certain news came from, it is from already public sources, such as a public police blotter and a public Lewis meeting. Therefore, the news this article is providing should just be the accurate, public voice of Lewis University, not one that is bringing out new information that could potentially hurt someone’s reputation more than it already has.
Three Lewis students were arrested in the early hours of the morning on April 16 after an incident involving alleged racial remarks made in a threatening manner. The students are currently banned from campus and will face a judicial board hearing.
According to Dean of Student Services, Kathy Slattery, who moderated a April 16 meeting about the recent arrests, university administration is still finding out about the incident that is still under investigation.
On April 16 a meeting open to all resident students took place in the Sancta Alberta Chapel to discuss questions and concerns surrounding the incident on April 16 at approximately 1:00 a.m. involving two suites in North Hall.
“We assure [you] this is being taken very seriously,” Slattery said.
During this incident, alcohol was involved, “in one suite and not the other,” according to Slattery. Also, the individuals in the section that contacted the Romeoville Police Department and Residence Life Personnel were African-American. When asked at the meeting if any ropes or nooses were found, Slattery noted that ropes were found.
However, according to an April 18 Herald News police blotter, reports noted that a noose was lowered from one North suite to a suite of three African American women, who reported the incident.
“Three black women in the room below reported some guys were chanting and singing using racial slurs and threatening remarks,” said Lt. Mark Turvey in the Herald News.
Joe Falese, Vice President of Student Affairs, said that the Romeoville Police Department was very thorough before making any arrests. Slattery added, “[They were] investigating it for about two hours before arrest was made.”
The Herald News police blotter reported that Michael Lisman, 20, of Kansas City, Daniel Rusch, 19 and Matthew McCormack, 21, both of Schaumburg, were arrested in relation to this incident. “The three were booked into the county jail on charges of committing a hate crime, but Turvey said the Will County State’s Attorney’s office reduced those charges to disorderly conduct after reviewing the case,” said the April 18 police blotter.
Currently, the three North Hall residents who were arrested will face a judicial board hearing by the university. There is a range of punishments that can come with this hearing with the worst being expulsion. According to Slattery, the students arrested are currently banned from campus. From what Student Services was aware of at the time, it did not appear to be any previous tensions between the two suites involved in the incident. “It appears that the people in the sections didn’t even know each other,” Slattery said.
It also does not appear that this occurrence was in any way related to the other the racist instances in October and December 2008 on campus, such as the swastikas found on the elevator or on the trunk of an automobile.
The trigger to the incident that was previously noted to in a formal e-mail to the Lewis community about “repeated requests for them to be quiet,” seems to be false, according to some new information, according to Slattery. Both Slattery and Falese noted that there seemed to be more people involved than just the three arrested.
Falese and Slattery urged anyone who knows anything about the incident to talk to Student Services or security immediately. The DUTY line is also available (ext. 3889) for reporting anything regarding this case to residence life personnel 24 hours a day.
The immediate families of those that reported the negative behavior have been contacted and Slattery stated that they are working with them to keep everything confidential.
About a dozen students, along with the campus Resident Assistants, Peer Ministers and staff from security, Student Services, University Ministry, and Residence Life, came to learn more about this issue as well as get support.
After an open question and answer session with Student Services, Health and Counseling personnel talked about the services that they offer to the campus during this time. University Ministry then prepared a time of candlelight prayer outside of North Hall.
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