Special JIO handling 'DP' case

By DANIEL GINGISS Howard Arnold didn't ask to be placed in the middle of a nationally-publicized issue, but he accepted the assignment. Last month, Arnold, an associate social work professor, was appointed Special Judicial Inquiry Officer. His sole responsibility is to investigate a complaint against several University students who allegedly removed almost 14,000 copies of The Daily Pennsylvanian last semester. Arnold admits his task is large. "The complaint was that students violated the Open Expression Guidelines in the taking of The Daily Pennsylvanian," he said. "My role is to investigate that complaint, resolve some issues involved and make some judgement about behavior." The announcement came August 2 in a memo from Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson and Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson. Shortly after the announcement, the University appointed Steven Blum, Dartmouth College's chief judicial officer, to the position of permanent JIO. Blum will not begin his job until October 13. Morrisson said Arnold's appointment came first because "this case needed to move forward and it clearly is a high visibility case." Morrisson added that the appointment of a special JIO does not happen often. "I've done it once before [and] there had been to my knowledge at least one other such appointment before I was vice provost," she said. "There is precedent for it, but it is not necessarily a common procedure." Arnold, who has been at the University for 25 years, has served in many University posts, including chairperson of the Affirmative Action Council, a member of the Faculty Senate's Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, a member of the Faculty Grievance Commission, and faculty master of DuBois House. Morrisson said former Interim JIO Catherine Schifter was not considered for the position because her term ended June 30 and "we didn't want to change the nature of that." Arnold said last night that his decision on the case will come "shortly."