PC Student Advocacy Organization

A Clarification on Student Rights in the Classroom

Editorial printed in the November 5 issue of The Cowl

This letter is written in regards to comments made by Professor Barry in the “Operation Red Cup” article of the October 8th issue of the Cowl. Professor Barry made a very unsettling statement regarding the publication of arrest information when he proclaimed “I want to know which of the students in my room were arrested last night.” In case Professor Barry was unaware, ALL individuals involved in the justice system in our country are innocent until proven guilty and perhaps one out of those seventy-five students arrested that weekend were wrongfully charged.
A student should not be burdened with the stigma of having their name published unless they have been found guilty in a court of law.  Unless Professor Barry wished to provide a compassionate voice to a student in need, I cannot see any logical reason for his desire to know who the accused students, if any, in his classroom are. I can only hope that a professor would never discriminate against a student based on the possibility that he/she had made a mistake or was falsely charged.  While attending a school so enriched by Christian tradition, surely we all recognize the importance not only of fairness but also that of forgiveness. If any faculty member, including Professor Barry has the best interests of their students at heart and would like to be sent information on how they could become a student advocate, please feel free to contact me.

Jon Dooley
President
Student Advocacy Organization