2008 Woodie Awards
Balderamos suspension upheld
Officials continue to decline comment on hearings
Michael Rizzo
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
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University officials still decline to comment specifically on the judicial hearings of Alfredo Balderamos and Nathan Oliveira, two students suspended from campus on Oct. 8 after accusations of threatening behavior.
The university's final decisions were handed down Thursday morning and some students now believe that a statement from the university is needed.
Officials proposed that Balderamos be denied access to portions of campus property, including his residence hall; put on disciplinary probation for the rest of his time at SJSU; and attend 12 counseling sessions. The specific type of counseling could not be determined.
But Balderamos said Thursday that he had not yet signed the university contract and that he had until yesterday to do so. He remains on interim suspension for now.
"It just doesn't seem fair," he said.
Oliveira was allowed back on campus and in Lou Henry Hoover Hall after accepting the university's proposed sanctions. He said he was put on disciplinary probation for a year, has to write a four-page essay on why ethical development is important, and must attend two counseling sessions.
"It seemed kind of stupid," he said, "but whatever - I signed the contract."
On Sept. 29, a resident of Hoover Hall reported Balderamos to housing officials, accusing him of threatening to "go Virginia Tech" on a fellow resident. Oliveira was suspended because he was later reported to housing officials for a verbal exchange with the accuser after the report was made.
A resident adviser for Hoover Hall, who asked not to be identified, said that since the first of several accusations against Balderamos were made, "there's so many people not feeling safe in the community. People are scared it was true."
Veril Phillips, vice president of student affairs, said that the university would only alert the student body about the details of a particular hearing if the campus community's health or safety were in jeopardy. He cited the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects student education records from public release except on certain grounds.
The university's final decisions were handed down Thursday morning and some students now believe that a statement from the university is needed.
Officials proposed that Balderamos be denied access to portions of campus property, including his residence hall; put on disciplinary probation for the rest of his time at SJSU; and attend 12 counseling sessions. The specific type of counseling could not be determined.
But Balderamos said Thursday that he had not yet signed the university contract and that he had until yesterday to do so. He remains on interim suspension for now.
"It just doesn't seem fair," he said.
Oliveira was allowed back on campus and in Lou Henry Hoover Hall after accepting the university's proposed sanctions. He said he was put on disciplinary probation for a year, has to write a four-page essay on why ethical development is important, and must attend two counseling sessions.
"It seemed kind of stupid," he said, "but whatever - I signed the contract."
On Sept. 29, a resident of Hoover Hall reported Balderamos to housing officials, accusing him of threatening to "go Virginia Tech" on a fellow resident. Oliveira was suspended because he was later reported to housing officials for a verbal exchange with the accuser after the report was made.
A resident adviser for Hoover Hall, who asked not to be identified, said that since the first of several accusations against Balderamos were made, "there's so many people not feeling safe in the community. People are scared it was true."
Veril Phillips, vice president of student affairs, said that the university would only alert the student body about the details of a particular hearing if the campus community's health or safety were in jeopardy. He cited the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects student education records from public release except on certain grounds.
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