Eastern Michigan University coverup

[MrBug708]

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...cle=1&catnum=1

For two months after Laura Dickinson was found dead in her dorm room, Eastern Michigan University officials assured her parents and the public there was no sign of foul play.

But campus police knew otherwise all along.

It wasn't until a fellow classmate was arrested in February that the truth came out: Dickinson had been raped and murdered. She had been found spread-eagle on the floor, naked from the waist down, a pillow covering her face and semen on her leg.

Now university officials from the president on down are being accused of endangering students to protect the school's image.

[timmynausea]

That's really awful.

Not that it'd justify it if it was a better school, but from all I've ever known Eastern doesn't have much of a reputation to protect. This is basically one step above a community college covering something up.

[molson]

I don't get it. Wouldn't the REAL police be investigating any sudden death of a college student?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by molson

I don't get it. Wouldn't the REAL police be investigating any sudden death of a college student?

Apparently, they were:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=3297153&page=1

EDIT TO ADD:

or 10 weeks, Laura's family and friends mourned her death and believed that it was indeed a horrible accident.

The student body was assured by school officials that the campus was safe.


But in February, the Dickinsons and campus received shocking news: Orange Amir Taylor, also a student at Eastern Michigan, had been arrested and charged with raping and murdering Laura.
"This was not a freak event, but a tragedy, a murder on our campus," said Tom Sidlik, chairman of the Michigan Board of Regents, which oversees the school.


It turns out that police and school officials had been quietly investigating Laura's death for weeks, but had never told the student body that they suspected a murder had been committed on campus and that the murderer was still at large.

[BrianD]

I can maybe see not telling the students so that the guilty guy would relax thinking there was no investigation, but it would have been nice to tell the parents.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

...shocking news: Orange Amir Taylor, also a student at Eastern Michigan, had been arrested and charged with raping and murdering Laura.

Not to label everyone named after a color or fruit as having issues, but didn't we cover this in the thread about Windy where Frost came into the discussion? Sure, there are maybe three or four guys out there named Orange who are very successful doctors, lawyers or other normal professions, but it's almost shocking that he was in college. I'd think it's much more likely to meet a guy named Orange in a gas station.

What is wrong with parents...

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Not to label everyone named after a color or fruit as having issues, but didn't we cover this in the thread about Windy where Frost came into the discussion? Sure, there are maybe three or four guys out there named Orange who are very successful doctors, lawyers or other normal professions, but it's almost shocking that he was in college. I'd think it's much more likely to meet a guy named Orange in a gas station.

What is wrong with parents...

FUCK YOU! I'm coming right over to kill you!

- signed, Blue Heron Rainbow Slushy Summer

[Solecismic]

It's a strange story. One that's gotten a lot of press here recently.

To me, the issue is that they didn't kick this guy out of the school after he was caught breaking and entering dorm rooms.

But to many in the area, even though Orange didn't commit another rape or murder before he was caught, the story is that students weren't warned about what happened.

A faculty council has voted to ask for the president's firing. Even though no harm was done and he's taking steps to ensure security improves. That seems politically motivated.

No one seems to care about the guy who did it, nor has anyone addressed a student disciplinary system that gives bad students far too many chances.

EMU is in a very dangerous area. That's probably the biggest reason it has trouble attracting students and has a poor reputation among the state schools.

It's been that way as long as I can remember. A good friend of mine woke up one morning, in her apartment right off campus, to an attacker wearing a ski mask holding a knife to her throat. He was never caught, nor was there any public outcry, because that happens so often.

I would guess that at any given moment, there are several rapist/murderers amongst the EMU student body. There is absolutely nothing students shouldn't already be doing in the interest of safety that they could do if issued a Clery Act warning.

[DeToxRox]

A kid I went to HS lived in a room like five doors from her. She was dead on Wednesday and wasn't found until Monday according to him.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

EMU is in a very dangerous area. That's probably the biggest reason it has trouble attracting students and has a poor reputation among the state schools.

Hmm...I never got the impression that was a dangerous area, but then I don't spend a lot of time in Ypsi. Ugly, sure. I guess that shows just how quick the dropoff is between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. I don't think it's quite the same contrast as driving from Grosse Pointe down into Detroit (which is absolutely mind-blowing in terms of how things change in such a short distance), but the slope does seem to drop pretty quick the further east you move from Ann Arbor.

[henry296]

Originally Posted by molson

I don't get it. Wouldn't the REAL police be investigating any sudden death of a college student?

Typically the "campus" police is a division of the local police department with jurisdiction over the university property.. Therefore, the "real" police were investigating.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by henry296

Typically the "campus" police is a division of the local police department with jurisdiction over the university property.. Therefore, the "real" police were investigating.

I can't speak for Michigan, but that's definitely not true at Virginia universities.

[RendeR]

I'd be amazed if the campus police were more then your basic rent-a-cop on any campus. They have direct contact with local autorities to be sure, but no actual police training or skills are involved beyond typical security guard stuff.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I can't speak for Michigan, but that's definitely not true at Virginia universities.

Also not true at Rutgers.

[Bubba Wheels]

Ypsilanti, the city Eastern Michigan is in, is one of the armpits of SE Michigan. Although it borders Ann Arbor, Ypsi is to that town what maybe Oakland, CA is to San Francisco. Wall to wall dump. At least Oakland has good weather.

[miami_fan]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/16/uni....ap/index.html

YPSILANTI, Michigan (AP) -- The president of Eastern Michigan University was fired months after top university officials were accused of covering up the rape and slaying of a student by publicly ruling out foul play.


John Fallon, shown in a 2005 photo, was dismissed as president of Eastern Michigan University on Sunday.

The president, John Fallon, confirmed that he was fired Sunday evening by a unanimous vote of the Board of Regents, The Ann Arbor News reported in its Monday editions. Board secretary Jackie Kurtz on Monday confirmed the firing to The Associated Press.

Fallon told the newspaper that his termination letter was delivered Sunday night and did not state a reason for his firing. The letter said the board had voted unanimously to terminate his employment contract effective Sunday -- two years after his five-year contract took effect.

"As a citizen, I am disappointed in this hastily called meeting, without any opportunity to be present or to respond," Fallon told the newspaper. "I have a story to tell and intend to tell it."

University spokeswoman Pamela Young said she couldn't discuss Fallon until after a board meeting planned for Monday afternoon.

The president's dismissal follows an independent law firm investigation and U.S. Department of Education report, both of which found that the 23,500-student public university violated the federal Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose campus security information.

The body of the slain student, Laura Dickinson, 22, was discovered December 15 in her dorm room. At the time, university officials told her parents and the media that she died of asphyxiation but that there was no sign of foul play, despite evidence to the contrary.

It wasn't until another Eastern student was arrested in late February and charged with murder that her family and fellow students learned she had been raped and killed.

The accused student, Orange Taylor III, of Southfield, has pleaded not guilty to murder and criminal sexual conduct charges in Dickinson's death. He is scheduled for trial October 15.

Many in the university's administration were accused of covering up the truth and endangering students to protect the school's image, which has been marred in recent years by tensions with faculty, students and the community.

The board was expected to meet later Monday to discuss the case. Still undetermined was the status of Vice President of Student Affairs Jim Vick and Public Safety Director Cindy Hall.

Howard Bunsis, president of the faculty union, said Monday that everyone involved in covering up information about Dickinson's slaying should no longer be working for the university.

"It's now time for the university to move forward," Bunsis said. "When I say move forward, I mean put a total focus on what happens in the classroom between students and faculty. We've had a difficult time."

Fallon's secretary did not know Monday morning how Fallon could be reached for further comment. Fallon told the Ann Arbor News that the termination letter indicated his office had been secured and arrangements would be made for him to retrieve his personal items.

Messages left by The AP at a telephone listing for the official president's residence at Eastern Michigan and by e-mail were not immediately returned. E-mail to a friend