Local News

100+ Faculty, Staff Blast Wash U Response to Pro-Palestine Protests

Published

1 year ago

April 26, 2024

[ad_1]

An outraged letter signed by more than 100 faculty members, staff and graduate students was delivered at noon today to Washington University’s administration demanding it stop suppressing peaceful student protests for Palestine.

“We are writing to express our deep concern at the university’s arbitrary and heavy-handed response to recent student protests against Israel’s ongoing bombardment and starvation of Gaza,” the letter says.

Wash U has responded to recent student protests with police presence, including a Pro-Palestine demonstration on April 13 where 12 activists were issued court summons and three were suspended.

Protesters have specifically called on the university to divest from Boeing, which has been criticized for its weapons program that has developed bombs used in Israel’s ongoing assault on the Palestinian people.

“The students were not violent. They did not destroy property. They simply occupied space,” the letter continues. “It was disruptive, yes, but offered a great teaching moment for WUSTL. The university’s immediate response, with no due process, was to summon WUPD and suspend three students and bar them from campus as if they were a threat.”

The letter went on to point out that the police officers who removed the student protestors were armed.

“At least one student has reported feeling threatened when an officer placed his hand on his gun and looked directly at them,” the letter says. “This allegation should be immediately investigated by the university, for, if true, it is not only an unconscionable way to treat members of our community but could have resulted in the student’s injury or death. The use of armed guards against our students is an unwarranted, and deeply disturbing escalation, and we hope this will not reoccur on future occasions.”

The letter states that the students banned from campus depend on the university’s medical care and food services and that their access to these were stripped away without due process.

“Representatives of the administration have arbitrarily threatened to increase punishments, including threat of expulsion,” the letter says. “On what basis and through what process and procedure are such harmful actions being taken?”

The letter says that the disciplinary actions Wash U is taking against students seems to be unfairly applied. It gives the example of fraternity and sorority members throwing eggs, spitting, jumping on tables and allegedly using racial slurs in the cafeteria a few weeks ago as an example.

“Were these students suspended? No,” the letter says. “But when students publicly express their deep moral concern for the killing of innocent civilians on a scale not seen in years, the university deploys a draconian response.”

In a recent statement issued by Chancellor Andrew Martin, Washington University curiously paired the April 13 protest and the incident involving Greek life saying they “run counter to who we are.”

“Both of these incidents were unacceptable and have caused harm to members of our community and to the university itself,” Martin wrote. “Our commitment to free expression remains unwavering, but as the policy states, activity that disrupts university functions is not permitted and is subject to disciplinary action, including ‘fines, probation, suspension, expulsion, termination of employment, and/or arrest for violations of the law.’”

In their letter, faculty and staff fired back at Martin, saying:

“Even worse, the Chancellor’s latest email conflated the two events suggesting that students taking a principled stand on issues of moral concern are somehow similar to immature students throwing eggs. While both actions indeed violated University rules, the relevant similarity ends there. Assigning equal moral weight and condemnation to a peaceful, conscientious protest, and an obnoxious menacing food fight gravely undermines the administration’s credibility.”

The letter mentions that threats to academic freedom at the university seem to be increasing, and says a number of faculty members have been summoned by administrators on charges that they are somehow showing bias or being antisemitic in the classroom for critiquing Israel and the U.S.

“Statements that Israel is an apartheid state, that it is committing genocide in Gaza, and that it is committing numerous war crimes are well within the mainstream of public political discourse and are fully protected by principles of academic freedom and by the university’s own professed commitment to free speech values,” they say.

The signatories of the letter demand a reversal of student suspensions and call on the university to uphold its own professed positions on free speech and academic freedom. They also linked to a petition calling for Wash U to drop the suspensions of student protestors.

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

[ad_1]

A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

[ad_1]

Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

[ad_2]

Source link

Local News

St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

[ad_1]

The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

[ad_2]

Source link