Students expelled in beating incident
May 16, 2006
BOLIVAR – The completion of an internal investigation into the conduct of Southwest Baptist University (SBU) student-athletes who beat a man outside a Springfield bar last month has led to the expulsion of two or more students, an action that SBU trustees hope will lead to healing.
SBU President Pat Taylor presented eight measures to the trustees May 9 in the hope that they will help improve the situation. Those ideas, in summary form, include: emphasizing discipline more; recruiting students more carefully; recognizing cultural differences among students; promoting more fun activities on campus; improving relationships with the Bolivar community; and teaching students that one poor choice can impact them the rest of their lives. The creation of a minority affairs officer position is one of the action steps being proposed by Taylor.
“I think the things that Dr. Taylor talked about will help us move on, but I hope that some of these folks will wake up,” SBU Trustee Gary Urich said. “This is not what this school is all about. I hope some of the players get a little more sensitive about how they conduct themselves. I hope it wakes some folks up and motivates folks to be careful about how they conduct their free time and live their lives.”
Rob Harris, SBU dean of students, led the school’s internal investigation.
“Based on Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations, any university discipline toward any student will not be public information,” Harris told the SBU student newspaper.
In the incident April 13, Joshua Mincks, 22, of Bolivar was attacked in the parking lot after the club closed. The internal investigation by Harris concluded that the students who participated violated Class C of the student handbook which specifies unacceptable moral or ethical behavior. No charges have been filed against the student athletes arrested.