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The Naval Academy is recommending expulsion for Lamar S. Owens Jr., according to the lawyer for the standout quarterback who led Navy to its third-straight bowl-winning season before being charged with and acquitted of raping a female classmate.</p>
<p>After meeting without the presence of an attorney on Friday with Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the academy superintendent, Owens was served yesterday with the administrative charges behind Rempt's recommendation for disenrollment for "unsatisfactory conduct," according to sources familiar with the case....
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<p>This recommendation shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Why did the Supe take so long to bring this case to closure? Was he waiting for scandals at Air Force and Army to provide him with cover? :(</p>
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...however, still had other charges to deal with like conduct unbecoming....
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<p>Lamar Owens was found guilty of those other charges by the Court Martial Board. However, they recommended that Owens should receive no punishment. Apparently, the Admiral feels otherwise and has decided to punish Owens administratively.</p>
<p>[The defense team's next step will be to appeal to the Secretary of the Navy, who has final say on all academy expulsions.]</p>
<p>In my husband's time, and I have seen this happen, it went all of the way up to the Sec. AF. I have not seen them undo a ranking officer's recommendation when the charges and bad publicity hanging around them is so severe.</p>
<p>GA: Thanks for the clarification, I hadn't realized that they had recommended no punishment for the other charges. I can't say that I blame the Admiral for his decision. I agree with nurseypoo that I doubt the ruling will be overturned.</p>
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The Naval Academy is seeking to expel Lamar S. Owens Jr., a former standout quarterback who was acquitted in July of raping a female classmate, after he rejected several offers aimed at persuading him to resign.</p>
<p>Owens, who had volunteered to quit last summer to avoid prosecution, will appeal the recommendation by Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the academy superintendent, to the secretary of the Navy in hopes that he can graduate and be commissioned a surface warfare officer, sources close to Owens said yesterday. That would set up a battle between the alumni who backed Owens and Rempt, who has staked out an aggressive stance against sexual misconduct at the academy....
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The superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy has recommended that a former Navy star quarterback cleared of rape but convicted of related misconduct be denied the chance to graduate or receive a commission as an officer.</p>
<p>In a memorandum to the secretary of the Navy, Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt stopped short of recommending that Lamar S. Owens Jr. pay back the cost of his education -- about $136,000 -- noting that he made "outstanding contributions as a varsity athlete" and "exhibited exemplary behavior" during the summer's court-martial. However, Rempt said he had "lost confidence that he possesses the moral character or ability to lead effectively as a junior officer."...
<p>If there's a confidence loss, you've lost everything. That's why that sub commander was dismissed from his command, I think it was stated, there was a loss of confidence.</p>
<p>Can you imagine what his five years of service will be like?</p>
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The superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy has recommended former quarterback Lamar Owens Jr. of Savannah, Ga., be dismissed for infractions stemming from his court-martial for rape, the football player’s lawyer said Tuesday, even though a military jury cleared Owens of the rape charge.</p>
<p>Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt concluded that Owens should be punished for “unsatisfactory conduct” according to a statement from lawyer Reid Weingarten. Owens, who was expected to graduate last spring but remains a midshipman due to the court case, would not graduate or receive an officer commission. But he would not have to repay roughly $130,000 for the cost of his education....
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Supporters of former Naval Academy quarterback Lamar S. Owens Jr. are mounting a furious campaign to persuade the Pentagon not to expel the midshipman, who was acquitted of rape but deemed unfit for command by the academy superintendent.</p>
<p>The effort includes what appear to be Owens' first public comments about the accusations against him: a plea for support on the social networking site Facebook.com. An organized cadre of academy graduates has also launched a letter-writing and lobbying effort directed at Assistant Navy Secretary William Navas, who will decide Owens' fate....
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It is disturbing that the U.S. Naval Academy is attempting to expel a midshipman, Lamar S. Owens Jr., after he was acquitted of a rape charge ("Navy wants Mid gone," Feb. 14). </p>
<p>In its attempt to redress its prior history of condoning sexual harassment on campus, the academy is using Mr. Owens as a scapegoat. </p>
<p>I do not know Mr. Owens, and I consider myself a feminist. But I also believe in the integrity of the legal system - and that system has found Mr. Owens not guilty. </p>
<p>It is unconscionable for the Naval Academy to seek to destroy a young man's life because of a mistake he (and many others) made in college. </p>
<p>Many governmental organizations have their own set of regulations that, regardless of a court finding, may be used to dismiss employees if that employee has been found to have violated them.</p>
<p>...and the military is chief among those. Remember, folks: the military has an entirely different code of justice than the rest of us.</p>
<p>I can't help but feel that politics is being played here, but since I don't have all the facts, I can't get too worked up about it. Gotta let the wheels turn...</p>
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An Annapolis alderwoman is expected to introduce tomorrow a resolution supporting Lamar S. Owens Jr., the former Naval Academy quarterback acquitted of a rape charge but recommended for expulsion for misconduct. </p>
<p>Classie G. Hoyle, a Ward 3 Democrat, said that "the city should step forward and support this young man," and advocate that he be allowed to graduate....
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An Annapolis alderwoman and the Anne Arundel chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People stepped forward yesterday in support of Lamar Owens Jr., the Navy midshipman recommended for expulsion after being acquitted of rape charges but convicted of two lesser counts. </p>
<p>Classie G. Hoyle introduced a non-binding resolution asking that the Naval Academy grant Owens his degree and commission. The alderwoman said she hopes that Navy Assistant Secretary William Navas will take it under consideration as he decides the fate of Owens, whose trial ended in July....
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<p>The resolution is scheduled for a public hearing on 12 March 2007.</p>
<p>Ok, I have to chime in here. What a slippery slope we are going down if we let politicians decide who should and will get their degree's. He was convicted on two accounts. It should not be up to some politician to determine that those convictions should not matter. If he is allowed to reap all of the benefits from his four years by the bay while being convicted on two other charges what message does that send to the underclassmen? Athlete - conviction - no problem.</p>