Trials set for students charged in spring

The trial of Wharton evening student Douglas Murphy, who was caught carrying a loaded 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol into class in April will begin Monday, according to Victim Support Director Maureen Rush. And the ethnic intimidation lawsuit filed by two South Asian students is scheduled to begin trial Tuesday, prosecuting attorney Brian Hood said. The students allege they were harassed by intoxicated Drexel University students in March. Murphy was charged by the District Attorney's Office with violating Pennsylvania's Uniform Firearms Act and with one count of harassment. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said in April that the Murphy had been placed on an involuntary leave of absence. University Police brought Murphy into custody after they discovered that he was armed with a loaded gun in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. The student who notified the police about the incident said he was assaulted by Murphy two weeks earlier. Another student in the class said that a "disagreement" during a class presentation led to the alleged assault two weeks prior. He said Murphy thought the victim was attempting to sabotage the presentation by removing transparencies and turing off the overhead projector before Murphy had finished with his speech. After class, the student said Murphy struck the victim and knocked him to the ground three times. The victim has filed a complaint with Philadelphia Police. In another University-related court case, Class of 1995 graduates Bela Shah and Monika Parikh claim they were harangued with racial epithets by Drexel students Gregory Rosenbaum and Victor Vencus. Shah and Parikh, then both residents of Hamilton Court, said they were awoken at 2 a.m. when they heard voices calling out a racial slur containing the words "Indian" and "7-11." When they asked Rosenbaum and Vencus to lower their voice, they were bombarded with more slurs for a period of about 15 minutes -- until University Police arrived at the scene after receiving about eight calls complaining of the noise. University Police took the Drexel students to Philadelphia Police Southwest Detectives for questioning. They were released at approximately 6 a.m. with no charges pressed, Shah and Parikh claimed the police mishandled the case, as they were not interviewed about the incident by detectives. While at Southwest, Shah said she overheard a discussion in the next room in which one person was urging another to release the students. Parikh said University Police officer Rudy Palmer told her that that the father of one of the Drexel students is an area police officer. Later that week, Rosenbaum turned himself into the police. He was charged with ethnic intimidation, harassment, conspiracy, disorderly conduct and open lewdness.

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