Holford's dismissal provokes concern by students

After college junior Matt Holford barricaded himself in his room in order to protest his eviction for allegedly violating drug use policies, the policy and its enforcement on campus have since been in question.

Holford was dismissed from the college because he and college junior Josh Robinson were found drunk and disturbing the peace by Security on the morning of April 24. Holford admitted to making crank calls to Residential Coordinators in East Hall and knocking over an item in South Hall.

Robinson is currently on probation for a period of time still unknown.

In mid-March, Holford was evicted from his room in South Hall because he had been accused of violating the drug policies of residential halls. Prior to his eviction from South, Holford had been evicted from East Hall for similar reasons. After Holford's eviction, Robinson wrote a petition that was circulated throughout the student body contesting the eviction and saying that due process was not followed by Residential Life.

Even though Holford's recent actions caused him to be dismissed from the college, Professor of Theater Roger Copeland, who was Holford's adviser during the first appeal, is concerned with the way Residential Life administrators followed rules throughout the whole process.

"What kind of recourse exists for the accused when Oberlin College violates clearly stated procedure in bringing charges?" asked Copeland.

Though federal law precludes Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk from commenting on Holford's case specifically without his permission, Cole-Newkirk said that the rules outlined in the Regulations Book had been followed.

Cole-Newkirk took emergency action in Mid-March after complaints were made that Holford had been smoking marijuana in his room in South Hall. As a result, on March 8, Holford received a notice of eviction.

Holford, in response to the eviction notice, decided to barricade himself in his room the next day until a preliminary Community Board hearing was scheduled.

Robinson, college sophomore Ben Selman and a few other students, who elected to barricade themselves with Holford, said that the College had not gone through the proper due process channels.

According to the Rules and Regulations of the College, a student is supposed to be given 48 hours notice before being evicted. The students claimed that Holford had only been given 36 hours. They also said that the accusations made in the eviction notice were partially false.

When Holford eventually complied with his eviction, he stayed at a friend's house. He said, "I had to sleep on a couch for a long time. I was missing a lot of my stuff, and I didn't have access to it." He added that it seriously hindered his studying.

The community board, after its hearing, which included testimonies in support of and against Holford, decided to uphold Cole-Newkirk's decision.

Holford then wrote a letter to President Nancy Dye asking for an appeal to his punishment. In a letter to former Judicial Coordinator Claudia Bredlau dated April 17, he asked to include in his appeal information concerning his belief in the unfairness of the procedures, inappropriate severity in his penalty and gross inconsistency between the evidence presented and the decision. Holford also said in his letter that Community Board members repeatedly bent or violated their own rules in a way that favored the dean's office. He notes that in the printed transcript of the hearing Board member Anne Moore, director of Allen Memorial Art Museum, admitted that she is not "interested" in "technicalities" such as the Community Board's own printed rules about who is allowed to deliver closing arguments.

The Community Board also wrote, in its letter to Holford, "Your unacceptable actions seriously disrupted the atmosphere of the residence hall in which you lived." Holford wrote, in his letter, that all residents who lived on the south wing of his floor in South, with the exception of two, testified in writing that he was never disruptive.

One of the two residents who did not sign the statement was the one who filed the original complaints against Holford.

Holford states in his letter that the Community Board was unable to prove any other allegation of marijuana use other than the one time he admitted to doing so on Feb. 18.

Drug crusaders: Matt Holford and Josh Robinson in Holford's room while they barricaded themselves in it. (photo by Mike Oleson)

College sophomore Alex Goddard, an RC from East Hall, wrote in an essay to the Review on April 26, "As far as Drug and Alcohol policy is considered, the contract refers you to the Regs Book, which says, quite clearly on page 39, `Oberlin College prohibit the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of alcohol or drugs.'"

Goddard asked in his letter, "Why are people like Matt trying to use the rules for their defense, when its pretty clear that they have broken the rules?"

After being denied an appeal by Dye, Holford appealed to the General Faculty Council (GFC). The committee that was set up to review his appeal was comprised of two people, according to Holford. In response to his appeal, he was sent notification that stated that there were no grounds to review the decision and offered no explanation.

The morning after Holford received his response from the GFC, Holford and Robinson were found drunk and disturbing the peace in South Hall.

Cole-Newkirk sent both Holford and Robinson a letter stating that they were dismissed and suspended from school, respectively. They appealed to Community Board in hopes of overturning the punishments recommended by Cole-Newkirk. The appeal was heard later that evening, resulting in the change in Robinson's punishment. Dye agreed to uphold Community Board's decision to change Robinson's punishment from a suspension to a probation.

Robinson said, "Cole-Newkirk was completely motivated by her relationship with me. He added, "I was the one who wrote the petition, signed by 250 students, that was critical of her performance."

The suspension, according to Robinson, was a minor inconvenience. He said he missed a couple classes and meals because of the suspension.

Senator sophomore Josh Kaye said that Senate was concerned about the Holford case and responded by asking Cole-Newkirk question focusing on due process and the drug policy, rather than the specifics of Holford's case.

Holford and Robinson are currently awaiting Community Board's final decisions concerning their punishment for their activities.

Selman said Residential Life has attempted to bring Holford up on a variety of charges, including tearing off a bulletin board and hanging an e.e.cummings poem on an RC's door in South as a threatening act.

"The fact that the administration can act in such a way should anger all students on campus," said Holford.