Student says Harvard is wrongly linking her to campus murder

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>A Harvard University honors student said last night she has been wrongly linked to last week's murder on campus, and she accused university administrators of unjustly barring her from graduating next month.</p>

<p>Chanequa N. Campbell said in a telephone interview monitored by her attorney, Jeffrey T. Karp, that she was ordered off the Cambridge campus last Friday and told she will not graduate June 4.</p>

<p>Campbell said Harvard officials did not give her a specific reason for their actions, but took the steps after Cambridge resident Justin Cosby was shot inside Kirkland House on May 18, allegedly by a New York man, Jordan Copney.</p>

<p>Campbell, who said she lives in the Kirkland annex and not in the area where the shooting took place, said she is a friend of Copney's longtime girlfriend, who is also a Harvard student living in Lowell House on campus.</p>

<p>But, she said, she did not know Cosby, who Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said last week was selling marijuana to Harvard students before he was killed.</p>

<p>She also said her Harvard access card was not used by Copney to gain entry to Kirkland House - authorities said someone gave Copney a Harvard card - and that she was taking a final and at work on the afternoon of the murder.</p>

<p>"I have no knowledge of anything that happened, none whatsoever," Campbell said.</p>

<p>Last week, Leone said two female Harvard students were the connection between Cosby and Copney. He did not name the students.</p>

<p>Campbell said she and her family will now probably have to forgo the dream of seeing her wear a Harvard robe and collect a sociology degree.</p>

<p>Asked why she believes Harvard administrators took the actions they did, she said she was not making an "overall claim of racism," but "I do believe I am being singled out. . . . The honest answer to that is that I'm black and I'm poor and I'm from New York and I walk a certain way and I keep my clothes a certain way," she said. "It's something that labels me as different from everyone else."</p>

<p>John Longbrake, a spokesman for Harvard University, said last night that because there is an ongoing investigation, the school would not comment. He also said, "We do not comment on student circumstances."</p>

<p>In the interview, Campbell was asked if she sold marijuana to her fellow students before the shooting. "No," she said.</p>

<p>Campbell is 21 and a native of Brooklyn's tough Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. She is a New York Times scholarship winner, a Coca-Cola scholarship winner, and a member of the National Honor Society.</p>

<p>Student</a> says Harvard is wrongly linking her to campus murder - The Boston Globe</p>

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<p>I’m not sure the Al Sharpton defense is the best road for her to take here. Charges of racism against the bastion of liberlism is a non-starter. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect that Harvard thought long and hard before picking out a black woman for this accusation? I suppose the electronic records will prove whether or not it was her card that was the one used to gain entry (or, even moreso, the one that was in the pocket of the dead guy). If so, then what is the defense? Possibly the dead guy’s girlfriend stole it and gave it to him? But then how did Campbell get it back? Maybe campus white supremacists spoofing the ID cards of minority students?</p>

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<p>I have few unanswered questions:</p>

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<li><p>Harvard did not spell her name to newspaper. Therefore, I wonder why her lawyer released her picture and revealed her identity to a newspaper.</p></li>
<li><p>Innocent unless proven guilty, then why Harvard University is blocking her from attending graduation ceremony. Even one complete course work, could a university still block someone from graduation.</p></li>
<li><p>Why Harvard will go through this route as university is being blamed on racial discrimination. Harvard probably does not want to have this kind of publicity attached to their name.</p></li>
<li><p>Is her lawyer posturing (my guess) to let her graduate from college and win an upper hand as part of a well thought out process. Other scenirio could be that being poor and not able to afford a good counsel, her lawyer who could be incompetent, is doing a disservice to her by advising her wrong. Let us see what happens</p></li>
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<p>I believe Harvard would not expel this young lady unless it had some real evidence of wrong-doing. As a liberal institution it would not venture into unsubstantiated persecution, and the accusations of racism without careful and deliberate examination of the facts.</p>

<p>When the entire investigation is completed (probably by trial now) we will understand the whole picture.</p>

<p>It is a tragedy for everyone involved. Sincerest condolences to the Cosby family.</p>

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<p>I don’t think any of the girls should be punished, for letting any of the participants into the dorm, if the girls did not know they had a gun, drugs, or intentions that were criminal.</p>

<p>Harvard may seem “liberal,” but the institution’s self-protection is always the priority. Injustices are quite possible, toward that end.</p>

<p>I have written before about the disconnect between admissions and the policies of the university, in terms of students with disabilities. Perhaps this disconnect is relevant here, as well, in terms of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Punishing students for whom they have as friends, is not right at all.</p>

<p>That said, none of us has the whole story.</p>

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<p>The Boston Globe coverage indicates the girlfriend did indeed know the shooter’s plan of stealing money and drugs from the local dealer at the assigned location of her dorm, Kirkland, basement. Who provided the access key card is the currrent question.</p>

<p>If Campbell is innocent of wrongdoing, I’m sure she will receive her diploma, and have grounds for a hefty law settlement. I don’t think the Harvard administrators would implicate her without cause, knowing all the fury and publicity it is generating.</p>

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<p>I know I shouldn’t be making light of a serious, tragic incident, but this line was too good to pass by. Speaking as the parent of a sociology major, I suggest that this line undermines the credibility of the entire family.</p>

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<p>heh</p>

<p>10char</p>

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<p>The Harvard administrator most directly responsible for decisions in this matter is the Dean of the College, Evelyn Hammond. Prof. Hammond is a professor of African-American Studies, and a former diversity officer for the Harvard faculty. She is also a black woman with a degree from a black college (Spelman) who has devoted much of her writing and her academic career to questions of diversity, racism and specifically discrimination against women and minorities in science and medicine.</p>

<p>The other woman, alleged to be the shooter’s girlfriend, and who is not presently prevented from graduating, was reported to be an (also black, from Harlem) sociology and African-American Studies major, so if there is any question of bias it might be that the second woman is known to the Dean from the Af-Am department, not the Sharptonesque charges of racism.</p>

<p>[Hammonds</a> named dean of Harvard College — The Harvard University Gazette](<a href=“http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/03.06/99-hammonds.html]Hammonds”>http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/03.06/99-hammonds.html)</p>

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<p>Thanks for letting us know about that Prof. Hammond. It is a very unfortunate that what has happened in Kirkland House. </p>

<p>By involving Prof. Hammond, Harvard University has at least made attempts that this case is not a straight race base case. There must be more facts than what we know at this time. A person of Prof. Hammond stature who promotes social justice will not try to bar a minority student from graduating based on race discrimination alone. I feel that prof Hammond must have included other facts in her decision makings.</p>

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<p>“1. Harvard did not spell her name to newspaper. Therefore, I wonder why her lawyer released her picture and revealed her identity to a newspaper.”</p>

<p>I wonder about this, too. It seems to be a very unwise course of action for the student.</p>

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<p>I find it astonishing that her lawyer would allow it. If I were she, I’d be very worried about criminal liability as an accomplice to murder. If she was aware of a plan to rob the victim, she is in trouble…why call attention to yourself?</p>

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<p>That applies to the law. This is a matter of college policy, not criminal law.</p>

<p>As I’ve read the articles, it appears to me that the student is not expelled from school, but merely prohibited to participate in Commencement Exercises. Commencement is a public ceremony, but not a requirement for receiving a degree. Every year, many students are unable to attend the ceremony or just choose to pass on it, and earn their college degree regardless.</p>

<p>Like Northstarmom and Loki, I think it sounds as if the student is taking a huge chance on bearing the load of negative publicity and potential liability, in return for getting to have her 15 seconds of fame while walking across the stage.</p>

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<p>gadad</p>

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<p>That clear things up that she can still receive the degree. Well soon, I will be attending my first college graduation ceremony in USA.</p>

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<p>gadad: If all Harvard is saying is that it doesn’t want her to walk at commencement, then none of this makes sense, and the Boston Globe reporting is completely misleading. Clearly some serious disciplinary action is under contemplation (which would have to mean delay or denial of her degree, since there isn’t much else Harvard can do to her at this point).</p>

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<p>She is not the shooter’s girlfriend, she is the friend of the shooter’s girlfriend. The Globe says the GIRLFRIEND knew, not the girlfriend’s friend.</p>

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<p>^Interesting. This is so soap opera worthy. Maybe someone can turn this into a Korean drama? Just saying…</p>

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<p>^ bizzyjudy</p>

<p>I fail to see any humor here.</p>

<p>Based on what we know, this sounds like “guilt by association”. One would hope Harvard has some pretty solid evidence of wrong doing on this young lady’s part to expel her from campus and exclude her from graduation ceremonies. Unless she is not telling the truth in terms of what she was told when she was expelled, it is wrong for the school to take such actions without specifically telling her why. If there is probable cause that she was involved somehow, then evidence is it based on?</p>

<p>The clock is ticking and time is of the essence. If she does not walk across the stage, it will be a stain on her reputation and a black (no pun intended) mark her family will never forget. For the sake of the school it better be right on this one. If it is wrong, there will be a big $ price to pay.</p>

<p>Until yesterday, my daughter was on the waitlist for the Class of 2013, based on the way the school has handled this thus far, I am glad she is going to Columbia instead. Folks in NYC would have handled this much better.</p>

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<p>“Unless she is not telling the truth…” is the key phrase here. Why would Harvard banish her from campus and graduation --because it must have some evidence. She lived in Kirkland, the shooter from NYC, who had visited her occasionally, somehow had a Kirkland key card. The security people could most likely check the computer records to find out whose key card was used, and at what time, and what entry.</p>

<p>Just because Harvard is not leaking details (there are privacy policies) does not mean the investigation is flawed. It would not compromise it’s case, and the criminal case, just to respond to the girl’s public rantings.</p>

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<p>“Folks in NYC would have handled this much better.”</p>

<p>I’m glad you have the magical ability to not only understand exactly what went on in this situation, but what would have happened in a purely hypothetical situation at Columbia. I would recommend putting those skills to work for the highest bidder.</p>