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Wash U Law School Faculty and Alumni Condemn Protest Crackdown

Published

9 months ago

May 1, 2024

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A total of 140 Washington University School of Law faculty, students and alumni have signed an open letter condemning the university for the mass arrests and suspensions that followed Saturday’s Pro-Palestine protest.

The letter — addressed to Chancellor Andrew Martin and Vice Chancellors Anna Gonzalez, Nichol Luoma, Beverly Wendland and Robert Wild — says the university administration’s characterization of events “does not align with many firsthand reports from the scene.”

In a statement following the protest, Martin said protestors behaved “aggressively” and referred to the demonstration as a “dark sad day” for the university. The law school signatories are pushing back on that.

“Far from a ‘substantial threat’ to University operations, the demonstration, by all accounts, was calm and without incident in the moments before police moved in. Participants were sitting on the ground eating snacks,” the letter says. “Even the police had relaxed and dispersed to sit around the area.”

The demonstration was met with “a disturbing picture of heavy-handed police tactics and suppression of open and free dialogue on campus,” the letter continues. A total of 100 people were arrested on campus including 23 Wash U students and at least four employees. Police violently dragged and tackled students and community members during the arrests, and seriously injured a 65-year-old professor who was filming the scene.

“Besides the violent arrests, students on the scene reported disturbing police tactics. Some

reported being threatened with arrest simply for filming police activity,” the letter adds. “During the police action, Weil Hall was allegedly taken over by officers who ejected students from the building, preventing observation of the arrests taking place. Police photographers were also used to take photos of students and legal observers in attendance.”

The letter also condemned the administration for banning students and faculty from campus and evicting the students from campus housing.

“Washington University is not obligated to wield its legal authority to restrict free speech to the

fullest extent permissible. Universities, as institutions of higher learning, have a special

obligation to foster open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas — a commitment that Washington University claims to uphold,” the letter says. “Resorting first to heavy-handed enforcement tactics, rather than engaging in discourse, is antithetical to the core purpose of education. It erodes the foundations of a healthy democratic society.”

The signatories of the letter demand that the administration reverse the suspensions, advocate for any criminal charges to be dropped, “publicly retract their inaccurate and stigmatizing

characterizations of the protests, and commit to safeguarding students moving forward.”

U.S. Representative Cori Bush (D-St. Louis) also spoke out against the university’s response to the protests, calling it “shameful.” Bush has actively called for a ceasefire as Israel continues to attack Gaza, leaving more than 34,000 people dead, according to the Associated Press’ latest death toll.

“I am appalled by the response of Washington University to student-led protests over the past few weeks and days. The police brutality, mass arrests, suspensions, evictions, and wholesale bans on access to the St. Louis campus are inappropriate, unacceptable, and outright shameful,” Bush wrote.

The congresswoman says that Wash U’s administrators have joined a “disgraceful nationwide trend of violent, aggressive responses” to student protests.

“At a time when students should otherwise be studying for finals or preparing for graduation, they have instead chosen to stand up against the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians by participating in nonviolent direct action. I am proud of our students, faculty, staff, and community members who stand on the side of peace and diplomacy at Washington University,” Bush wrote.

Another demonstration is planned for tonight at the Saint Louis University Clock Tower at 6 p.m. Mayor Tishaura Jones issued a brief statement saying she has been in contact with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

“My administration and the city remain firmly supportive of the right to peaceful protest,” she writes. “After conversations with Saint Louis University’s administration and SLMPD, it is clear to me that they all share the same sentiment.”

Wash U and SLU students are calling on their respective universities to divest from Boeing, which they say abets the genocide of the Palestinian people.

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

9 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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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.

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

Published

9 months ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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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.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

9 months ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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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.”

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