Inclusion Daily Express -- Report: Gallaudet Students, Officials, Police Share Blame For October Confrontation

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Report: Gallaudet Students, Officials, Police Share Blame For October Confrontation
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
January 17, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC--Student protesters, school officials and campus police were all to blame for the confrontations at Gallaudet University last October, according to a report released Monday.

The Washington Post reported that the independent investigation by Eric Holder, former deputy attorney general under the Clinton administration, found that inadequate training and poor communication problems between police and protesters led to an escalation which resulted in arrests of about 130 protesters.

In his 53-page report, however, Holder was only able to substantiate one incident of "excessive force" on the part of police. That finding was in direct contradiction to accusations of police brutality from students.

Holder reportedly recommended that Gallaudet -- the nation's only liberal arts college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students -- hire more deaf and hard-of-hearing campus police officers, enact mandatory American Sign Language standards for existing officers, and use sign-language interpreters when communication problems arise.

The confrontation came after weeks of intense protests by students, faculty, staff and alumni following the school's board of trustees announcement that provost Jane Fernandes would replace university president I. King Jordan at the beginning of 2007.

The protesters claimed that Fernandes was not competent to run Gallaudet, was not proficient in sign language, and did not have the temperament to be a role model for and representative of the deaf community. They also claimed that the board's recruitment process did not welcome diverse points of view and did not include enough student or faculty input.

The protesters were arrested on October 6, after forming a human blockade by linking arms to block access to the campus. Two weeks after the incident, the trustees announced that they had rescinded Fernandes' appointment.

Related:
"Excessive Force Wasn't Used Against Students Occupying Building, Report Finds" (Washington Post)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/07/red/0117h.htm
"Gallaudet Students Protest Presidential Selection" (Inclusion Daily Express Archives)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/education/gallaudet.htm

Copyright © 2007 Inonit Publishing
Please do not reprint, forward, or post without permission.

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