Open letter in support of Eric Lambkins II and Jude Ocañas

USC students Eric Lambkins II and Jude Ocañas were arrested last month in Kansas City and charged with stealing three jerseys after they completed their coverage of the NFL draft for their student news outlet. Once the full details are known to all parties, we are confident that Eric and Jude will receive a fair and just outcome. 

Until that time, we want the world to know Eric and Jude as we do — based upon our personal experiences and observations — rather than sensationalized headlines and soundbites.

Born in Oakland, California, and raised in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, Eric Lambkins is a family man, married with three children ranging in age from two to 14. 

He is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army for three and a half years, including 13 months in Iraq. There, he earned a Combat Infantryman Badge and suffered a brain injury due to an IED. He was honorably discharged in 2004.

He has served the communities where he has lived. In Los Angeles, he worked as a drug and gang counselor for the Solutions Foundation, and he served as a youth pastor at a small Los Angeles church. In Santa Monica, California, and in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia, he worked for the city governments conducting after-school programs ranging from gang intervention to tutoring. 

He received his bachelor’s degree in 2014 from UCLA in African American studies. This year, he has been working toward his master’s degree in Specialized Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. One of his passions is sports, and he launched The Talk of Troy, a student-led sports talk radio show. He recently was chosen by the faculty as the recipient of the Jack Langguth First Amendment Award, one of the top honors for journalism students. He is widely acknowledged as a leader in the graduate student cohort, much respected and beloved by instructors and fellow students. He also has served as an informal ambassador to anyone visiting the Media Center — offering tours and even studio training for prospective students and their families, high school students imagining their futures, and VIP guests. 

Jude Ocañas is a freshman journalism major at USC, where he joined The Talk of Troy in part because he hopes to someday be an NFL analyst. He earned a USC Dean’s Scholarship and the Jacki and Gilbert Wells Cisneros Endowed Scholarship awarded to a student of Latin American descent who has demonstrated outstanding academic work.

He started volunteering with the Talk of Troy in the spring semester as a contributor on air, demonstrating his knowledge of the NFL and a passion for the work. He is a dedicated member of the team, also working behind the scenes as a producer. He is reliable and always showed dedication and high levels of professionalism. His coverage also has appeared on the Annenberg Media website, on Annenberg Radio News, and on ATVN. 

Many of those who signed this letter advised, taught or studied with Eric or Jude, and we know them to be hard-working, kind, generous, and honest.

Up to now press coverage, with its mug shots and sensationalized focus, has lacked important context as well as even the acknowledgement of any presumption of innocence. We hope that fuller accounts will shed light on the broader context and details of the events in Kansas City, and that the reputations of these two exemplary student journalists — their work ethic, character, leadership and integrity — will be restored.

Sincerely,

Mark Schoofs, associate professor of journalism, USC Annenberg

Sandy Tolan, professor of journalism, USC Annenberg

Alan Mittelstaedt, associate professor of professional practice, USC Annenberg

Joe Saltzman, professor of journalism and communication, USC Annenberg

Gabriel Kahn, professor of professional practice of journalism, USC Annenberg

Geoffrey Cowan, university professor; director, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy

Diane Winston, Knight chair in Media and Religion, USC Annenberg

Jeff C. Fellenzer, professor of professional practice: sports, business and media, USC Annenberg

Willa Seidenberg, professor of professional practice, USC Annenberg

Ben Carrington, associate professor of sociology and journalism, USC Annenberg

Afua Hirsch, visiting professor of journalism, USC Annenberg

Tyrone C. Howard, professor of education, UCLA

Colin Maclay, research professor of communication; director, USC Annenberg Innovation Lab

Barbara Pierce, adjunct instructor, USC Annenberg 

Gary Cohn, adjunct professor of journalism, USC Annenberg

Jameela Hammond, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Lauren Lee White, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Sam Youngman, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Ron Grover, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Felix Gutierrez, professor emeritus of journalism, USC Annenberg

Rebecca Haggerty, professor of professional practice, USC Annenberg

Eric Pape, half-time professor, USC Annenberg 

Sandra H. Kazarian, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg 

Gabrielle Glaser, author; adviser and editor, health & wellness desk, Annenberg Media Center, USC Annenberg 

Christine Kelly, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Keith Plocek, assistant professor of professional practice, USC Annenberg

Luke Harold, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Darryl Ryan, adjunct professor, public relations, USC Annenberg

Esmeralda Fabian Romero, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Laura E. Davis, associate professor of professional practice of journalism, USC Annenberg

Toni Albertson, part-time professor of journalism, USC Annenberg

Gerrick Kennedy, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

Mallory Carra, adjunct professor, USC Annenberg

 

*Note: Affiliations are for identification purposes only