And Justice for All?: JIO visit alters student's future

Third in a Series For as long as he can remember, John thought he would go to law school. But now, with a disciplinary action on his permanent record, he's not so sure anymore. Last year, the College sophomore got into a fight with another student in the Quadrangle. John, who asked that his real name not be used, soon found himself in the middle of the University's labyrinth judical proceedings. One of the first things former Interim Judical Inquiry Officer Catherine Schifter did, he says, was offer him a list of advisors. "She gave me a list of advisors, but I didn't know who they were or what they did," John said. "I asked Schifter for a suggestion, but she said she couldn't give one." John picked an advisor without knowing the person's qualifications. And although his advisor was "a good emotional support," he says, she knew very little about the judicial procedures and did not help him during his interview process with Schifter. He says Schifter found him guilty of assaulting this student, who John claims started the fight. "She used my own witnesses against me," John said. "And any other evidence she just disregarded." Five months later, Schifter offered John a settlement. "She told me if I did 30 hours of community service and pay $200 for [the other student's] doctor bills, I wouldn't have this on my record," he said. "She said if I signed the settlement, I could appeal the case within a year." As John learned only later, once a student signs a settlement it is an admission of guilt and automatically waives the student's right to a hearing or an appeal. John says Schifter explicitly told him he would be able to appeal the settlement, but now the incident is on his permanent record. Even his advisor said she thought that was how the system worked. Later, when John returned to the JIO, Assistant JIO Robin Read told him his advisor would have to write letters to Read and Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta, stating that Schifter had misinformed him of his rights. But John says his advisor "didn't remember exactly" what Schifter said. To complicate matters, his advisor was present for only two of the four meetings. John was told by his advisor that the worst thing that could happen to him was eviction from the Quad. He never thought it would be a permanent mark on his record. "It was a one-punch fight. It wasn't like I was stealing 14,000 copies of The Daily Pennsylvanian," he said. "Now, my chances of getting into law school are slim just because of something stupid I did as a freshman." John said his next step is to see the new JIO Steven Blum. "I hope he'll be able to help me get this off my record," John said. "I don't know what else I can do." Blum says he is not sure what recourse John may have. "I've only been here a week," he said. "I'm not sure what that particular student can do, but I do think that students are responsible for what they agree to. I believe it says on the settlement [document] that by signing this you waive your right to an appeal. "To a certain extent, students have to be responsible for themselves." Blum says he is seeking more faculty and administration volunteers to be advisors who are willing to be trained. He wants students to have "good advisors with a working knowledge of the system," he says. And he says he wants to help students understand the judical procedures, adding that the JIO is not out to deceive students. "This office is not looking to trick or manipulate any students," he said. "What it is looking for is for students to come in here and have a frank discussion about the incidents they were involved in."