Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTACT:
John Zaher (631) 207-1057, ext. 107
Hank Russell (631) 207-1057, ext. 110
PRMG New York
March 7, 2016
present evidence that is not the whole story and is not complete, as has already
happened to the public, is both unethical and contrary to an institution of higher
learning. You have made victims into culprits, without even attempting to have a
discussion with them after you had questions. Instead, you have leveled criminal
charges making each of these young women unable to testify in your hearing and
making them unavailable to each other because of the pending venom filed criminal
charges.
The utter disregard for the rights of these young women who have not been found guilty
of anything, and the intent to do violence to them again through this process demonstrates
this so-called place of higher learning has little integrity and less credibility in a real search
for the truth. They have already, by bringing these charges, done three outrageous things.
First, they have labeled these women guilty. Second, they have effectively barred these
accused students of the ability to come to a hearing and defend the charges leveled by the
very people accusing them and potentially trying to send them to jail. Third, they have
assured that none of the women can testify for themselves or each other, without subjecting
themselves to a waiver of their Constitutional Rights.
The University has been asked on more than three occasions to hold off on their
proceedings and to let the criminal justice process run its course. They have outright
refused and denied that they are the stated, [t]he Student Conduct Hearing will proceed
as scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. Regards, Nancy Lauricella In
addition, the level of intellectual dishonesty is shocking as Ms. Lauricella has stated, The
University at Albany is not the complainant in the criminal case. The criminal charges are
being brought forward by the Albany County District Attorney's Office, on behalf of the
People of the State of New York, and not the University. The Student Conduct Process at
the University is a separate administrative process and, as such, the University will not
delay the student conduct process to accommodate the criminal process. Clearly, the
request made by Ms. Burwells representative was not to accommodate the criminal
process, but for these women to have the ability to defend themselves against these
charges, given that the University created the underlying dilemma by rushing and bringing
criminal charges and forcing these women to be placed in penal jeopardy.
There is no doubt that these women are going to address the criminal charges, but the
actions of the University to create a Hobsons Choice and act as though they are not
attempting to punish these women without really affording a chance to defend themselves
is shameful for an institution that wants to be seen as a place of deep thinking and
intellectual honesty. By their actions, they call their own reputation and standing in the
academic community into question. Something must be done to stop the use of this process
at which only University employees will serve as witness. The notice of who will be
witnesses against these ladies is that not a single person alleged to have been on the bus is
going to be a witness in this hearing. In other words, every person coming to testify to
seek to punish these women is a University employee and has no firsthand testimony to
describe what these womens experienced on the bus. Any person of good conscience and
average intellect must object to the University using its internal process to manufacture and
perform an academic lynching. Nothing could be more unfair and unjust than what the
University of Injustice is now planning on doing.
###
About The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington
The Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington is a well-respected litigation firm; with an office in Hempstead, Long
Island. Our focus is primarily in the area of civil rights, voting rights, employment discrimination, police misconduct,
personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and criminal law. However, the Law Offices of Frederick K.
Brewington is a full service law firm handling matters in numerous areas of law and providing a wide range of services
from contract formation to litigation and trial practice. It is the largest African-American-owned law firm on Long
Island and has been designated by the New York Law Journal as one of the top minority-owned firms in the state of
New York. For more information, call (516) 489-6959 or visit www.brewingtonlaw.com.