Hurray: Getting The Word Out

Administrators and Trustees of Union College Schenectady

Need To Develop and Implement

An Honor Code of Ethics To Guide Their Own Behavior

By: Stephen B. Jones, an enraged parent of a former Union College student

I applaud the current, long overdue student uprising against the Union College administration and trustees regarding their lack of justice and due process. The opinions expressed in regard to the sanctions against Delta Kappa Epsilon and the new honor codes are right on target. The issues are as relevant today as they were 5 years ago when my son was a freshman at Union.

Brendan Callanan ’14 has it right to “believe that the school community is entitled to know the incompetency displayed by our school’s administration,” and in my son’s case the illegal and criminal activity that they engaged in. Nothing will change at Union College until the administration and trustees develop and implement an honor code of ethics to guide and improve their own behavior.

Without considering any right to due process as outlined in the student code of conduct, and the U.S. Constitution, Dean of Students, Stephen Leavitt capriciously and arbitrarily expelled my son, a court proven totally innocent student without any hearing, without any evidence, and without any witnesses. Leavitt continues to deprive my son of his constitutional civil rights. By a quick call to Robert Carney, the Schenectady DA, and a very loyal Union College alumnus, Leavitt made sure that my son’s case and Union College’s illegal and criminal atrocities would never be publically scrutinized in the Schenectady District Court and the Schenectady Supreme Court.

The student handbook is a contract between the students and the college. The rules of conduct mean nothing to this current administration. President Ainlay and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mark L. Walsh have in their possession a 9-page breach of contract document of the rules and regulations from the student handbook that were breached in the handling of my son. The document contains 11 breaches of contract and 53 complaints. I have documentation that verifies every statement in this document. I have yet to receive a response or an acknowledgement to this registered correspondence from Union College.

The administration and trustees are hiding behind a conspiracy of silence just like the cover-up and clandestine behavior that Penn State and the Catholic Church engaged in, causing them tremendous legal problems and great public embarrassment. The administration and trustees would do well to reflect on the wisdom of their former colleague, Timothy J. Dunn: “Judicial procedures – regardless of who stands accused – have implication for the entire student body. To abrogate the rights of one works an

injustice to all. Further, it completely undermines the education mission of any college or university.”

From my son’s experience, the administration and the trustees should stop their charade, and embrace a judicial process that will reflect justice, respect the constitutional rights of the students, and enhance the educational mission for the entire community at Union College. Abrogating the rights of innocent students is criminal and an abomination!