Students involved in armed robbery incident return to MU w/o student knowledge or consent.
Victory
Students involved in armed robbery incident return to MU w/o student knowledge or consent.
This petition made change with 335 supporters!
Kelly Cullison started this petition to Manchester University Residential Life and
Problem
Two students, involved in accusations of theft, armed robbery, and the threatening of students, have been found not guilty by the Manchester University Hearing Panel and allowed back on campus after a single day of dorm suspension (with no suspension from their classes). Despite originally admitting to having a gun, and several witness accounts that corroborate a gun's involvement, the accused students retracted their statement. As the weapon is still at large, and without more witness testimony, the students have been allowed to return to their rooms.
Manchester students were not notified of these students return to campus. After receiving a safety alert Saturday night with the minimum legally required details, and a follow-up email by the student affairs leadership team informing recipients that one of the accused had been taken into custody, and a promise to keep us informed, we have been given no more information. There was no email notifying us that the students were no longer under suspicion or that they had been cleared of accusations and returned to campus. This lack of information occurred despite threats to MU students made that night.
Solution
At the bare minimum, Manchester University needs to send out an email to the student body to notify that the accused have returned to campus. It is unethical that a board of exclusively staff and faculty should deem these students safe when it is not the staff and faculty, but the students, who must live as neighbors with the accused.
This trend of security threats is matched in its unsettling nature by the lack of action being taken by the university to reassure the students' sense of safety. No lights have been installed in the parking lots despite multiple student requests. The cameras in and outside of the dorms remain turned off, leaving situations such as this dependant on witness account and accused testimony alone. Should the University decide to allow these students to remain, it should be with the consent of the student body through student representation on the University Hearing Board.
Personal story
As a student, I feel as though my safety and that of my peers is being disregarded to protect the "rights" of these two students whose actions put us all in danger. I have personal ties to a witness, who has suffered from panic attacks and intimidation tactics from students involved. I have seen the undue emotional toll this has taken on their family and friends, and shared their anxiety over walking alone at night and being afraid for them to return to their dorm. Had the accused not posted that they had returned to campus on social media, the victimized students would be completely unaware that the source of their trauma was living down the hall from them. Please, sign this petition to let the administration know that students have a right to feel safe, and demand a say in their own security when it comes to matters of life-threatening violence.
Two students, involved in accusations of theft, armed robbery, and the threatening of students, have been found not guilty by the Manchester University Hearing Panel and allowed back on campus after a single day of dorm suspension (with no suspension from their classes). Despite originally admitting to having a gun, and several witness accounts that corroborate a gun's involvement, the accused students retracted their statement. As the weapon is still at large, and without more witness testimony, the students have been allowed to return to their rooms.
Manchester students were not notified of these students return to campus. After receiving a safety alert Saturday night with the minimum legally required details, and a follow-up email by the student affairs leadership team informing recipients that one of the accused had been taken into custody, and a promise to keep us informed, we have been given no more information. There was no email notifying us that the students were no longer under suspicion or that they had been cleared of accusations and returned to campus. This lack of information occurred despite threats to MU students made that night.
Solution
At the bare minimum, Manchester University needs to send out an email to the student body to notify that the accused have returned to campus. It is unethical that a board of exclusively staff and faculty should deem these students safe when it is not the staff and faculty, but the students, who must live as neighbors with the accused.
This trend of security threats is matched in its unsettling nature by the lack of action being taken by the university to reassure the students' sense of safety. No lights have been installed in the parking lots despite multiple student requests. The cameras in and outside of the dorms remain turned off, leaving situations such as this dependant on witness account and accused testimony alone. Should the University decide to allow these students to remain, it should be with the consent of the student body through student representation on the University Hearing Board.
Personal story
As a student, I feel as though my safety and that of my peers is being disregarded to protect the "rights" of these two students whose actions put us all in danger. I have personal ties to a witness, who has suffered from panic attacks and intimidation tactics from students involved. I have seen the undue emotional toll this has taken on their family and friends, and shared their anxiety over walking alone at night and being afraid for them to return to their dorm. Had the accused not posted that they had returned to campus on social media, the victimized students would be completely unaware that the source of their trauma was living down the hall from them. Please, sign this petition to let the administration know that students have a right to feel safe, and demand a say in their own security when it comes to matters of life-threatening violence.