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QUCHRONICLE.COM
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
VOLUME 85, ISSUE 20
The vomit verdict
Former TKE member awaits decision in lawsuit over wrongful suspension
By TARA O’NEILL
Associate News Editor
The injunction hearing for sophomore and former Tau Kappa Epsilon member John Demoulas has been completed. But the judge’s decision is still pending at the time of publication, according to Demoulas’ lawyer. If the judge rules in Demoulas’ favor, he will be allowed to return to campus this semester, despite originally being suspended until Aug. 16. The hearing began on Thursday, Feb. 19 and was completed on Monday, Feb. 23. Demoulas was suspended for the spring 2015 semester for allegedly sending out a group text message to new members of Tau Kappa Epsilon to clean vomit in his on-campus suite, according to Director of Student Conduct Megan Buda’s testimony in court on Thursday, Feb. 19. This type of behavior is classified as hazing in the student handbook, according to Buda. But Demoulas testified that he and his roommates never had alcohol or parties in their room and that they did not ask new members to clean vomit from their room. University officials also never saw a copy or any other proof of the alleged group text message, according to Buda. According to Demoulas, new members were invited to his room from time-to-time to play videogames or watch movies, but they were never asked to take commands from upperclassmen. He said Tau Kappa Epsilon members living off campus would have members–including new members–over their houses to watch football games. Associate Dean of Student Af-
BRYAN LIPINER/CHRONICLE
Sophomore and former Tau Kappa Epsilon member John Demoulas leaves Meriden Superior Courthouse for recess on Thursday, Feb. 19.
fairs Seann Kalagher testified that five members of Tau Kappa Epsilon came forward, specifically blaming Demoulas in the hazing allegations. During the hearing on Thursday, Buda testified she received witness statements from Assistant Dean and Director of Campus Life Daniel Brown, who was also the advisor for Tau Kappa Epsilon. However, Buda said she was uncertain whether or not this was a document, email or in some
other form. The lawyers representing Demoulas subpoenaed the documents relating to Demoulas’ suspension, but Buda said she was uncertain where the information from Brown was, since it was not included with the other documents. Buda admitted she could have talked to Demoulas to obtain his side of the story before formally suspending him; however, she said she
chose not to because she believed the evidence against him was significant enough to suspend him. Demoulas said he asked Kalagher when the alleged incident had occurred during his conduct meeting and Kalagher told him, “You know better than I would. The first couple of weeks of October.” However, Kalagher testified that he did not say this, but did encourage Demoulas to make better decisions.
Buda testified to not truly knowing whether or not Demoulas was even on campus or in his room during the alleged vomit-cleaning incident because witnesses were unable to give an exact date of the event, but said it occurred in mid-October. Michael Carroccia, former Tau Kappa Epsilon member and direct roommate of Demoulas, testified that Demoulas spent a majority of his time with his girlfriend. Demoulas’ attorneys used this as a supporting factor and said Demoulas may not have even been in his room when the alleged incident was said to have occurred since there was no exact date. After Kalagher informed Demoulas of the suspension for the spring 2015 semester, Demoulas said he informed Kalagher he wanted to appeal the suspension. Before his appeal meeting, Demoulas gathered witness statements from his suitemate Justin Zimnoch and fellow Tau Kappa Epsilon members AJ Sanfratello, Kyle Braun and Bill McNett. Though Kalagher said he gave Demoulas the option of an extension for the appeal process, Demoulas did not take the extension. “[I] wanted to get this over with as soon as possible,” Demoulas said. “I wanted to get back in school.” As the associate dean of student affairs, Kalagher oversees the conduct process. He addressed the hazing policy on page 72 of the student handbook and said he believed the university had grounds to suspend See COURT CASE Page 4
Shuttle hits car at New Road entrance
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A York Hill shuttle hit a Honda Civic when turning into the New Road entrance on Monday morning.
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and a gasp from a few girls as we hit the car,” Murray said. “The shuttle driver jumped out of his seat to make sure the girl was okay and got on the radio to Public Safety.” Murray said Public Safety arrived on the scene immediately to ensure no one was injured in the accident. She and junior Michelle D’Agostino said the students had to stay on the shuttle to give Public Safety and the Hamden police their names. D’Agostino said she was on the right side of the shuttle and could only hear people screaming before the collision. “I was shocked, everyone always jokes about the shuttles getting into an accident but it was scary because you felt the shuttle get pushed,” she said.
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A York Hill shuttle filled with students collided with a car at the university’s New Road entrance on Feb. 24 at 9:05 a.m., according to Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan. A Honda Civic was exiting the Mount Carmel campus when the shuttle cut the corner and hit the front bumper of the car. Both the Civic and the shuttle sustained damages. No injuries were reported from the accident. It is currently unclear if the person driving the Civic was a faculty member or a student. Junior Maddie Eldredge was on the shuttle when it hit the Civic. “Everyone sitting on the side that the accident happened on
screamed and then I felt the bus hit the car,” she said via Facebook messenger. Eldredge said everyone on the shuttle was told to stay there until the Hamden Police allowed them to get off because the accident did not happen on university property. “We were probably on the shuttle for like 10 or 15 minutes until we were told we could get off,” she said. “I think everyone who was on the shuttle’s main concern was if the person in the car was okay.” Senior Kerrigan Murray was on the shuttle that collided with the Civic, but said she wasn’t paying too much attention before the accident happened. “We were turning into the New Road entrance [and] all of the sudden there was a really loud noise
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