THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701090362
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, S.C. LENGTH: 44 lines
Eleven Citadel cadets face disciplinary action stemming from the hazing of two female cadets last year, the commandant of the state military college said Wednesday.
An upperclassman, one of two already suspended, allegedly told a female cadet ``if I ever see you off campus, I will cut your heart out,'' Col. Joseph Trez told U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck.
Houck, who is overseeing the admission last fall of four women to the formerly all-male school, called a hearing Tuesday on school security. Trez, a retired Army colonel, is in charge of The Citadel's students.
In addition to the upperclassman's threat, cadets allegedly twice poured nail polish remover on two of the women's clothes and set them afire, and a rifle allegedly was pushed into a woman's face, Trez said.
The state and FBI are investigating reports that cadets Kim Messer of Clover and Jeanie Mentavlos of Charlotte were targets of the hazing. Two other women have not reported problems but corroborated some details of the hazing, Trez said.
According to Trez, the two women said cadet officers led them to believe they should not complain. However, Mentavlos' brother, a senior cadet, reported the incidents to a member of the college governing board.
Trez said the women told him: ``A knob is a knob and just takes what happens.'' First-year cadets are called knobs because of their short haircuts.
Five cadets originally were suspended from military duties and two others were suspended from school. The four others who face pending disciplinary action all remain in their barracks, Trez said.
Houck, who ruled the Citadel's all-male policy unconstitutional in 1994, told the college Tuesday to consider the ``worst scenario'' and tighten security as a result of the allegations.
Since the hazing reports, The Citadel put panic buttons in the women's rooms and posted adults to sleep in all barracks.
The college dropped its all-male admissions policy last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar policy at Virginia Military Institute was unconstitutional.
Messer and Mentavlos have said they want to return to campus when classes resume next week, but are worried about security.