Wayne Manor has temporarily lost its commons space pending a review by the Undergraduate Judicial Board for alleged violations of University policy.
Assistant Dean for Judicial Affairs Stephen Bryan said the alleged violations, stemming from a party on Jan. 8, regard alcohol policy, noise policy, the Community Standard, event registration and unsafe and irresponsible behavior.
"We're not disputing what they say; we do agree there were people in the commons room and there was amplified music," said Wayne Manor President John MacDonald. "I have been told our punishment's pretty consistent with prior sanctions to some of the other groups."
Bryan said MacDonald has until Friday to submit a statement expressing the group's take on the allegations, and a decision from the UJB should be forthcoming within a few weeks.
The selective house will be allowed to continue recruitment, though its efforts may be hamstrung by the loss of access to its commons space. The situation could change with a ruling from the UJB, said Director of Student of Activities Deb Lo Biondo, depending on how quickly the case is resolved.
Neither Lo Biondo nor Residential Life and Housing Services Director Eddie Hull would comment on the exact nature or extent of the violations, but Hull intimated they were serious.
"If we take something away from the group, one can pretty reasonably assume that it's a pretty serious matter," he said.
Wayne Manor has been in trouble in the recent past. Back in 2002, an investigation found some members of the group guilty of violating the alcohol policy and of disorderly conduct in an incident relating to the vandalization of Wallace Wade Stadium. According to a police report, golf balls were hit onto the field Feb. 21 and a $500 window pane was broken at the Finch-Yeager Sports Medicine Building. Someone had also used a vehicle to make several circles in the grass, causing about $5,000 in damage.
Wayne Manor lost access to its designated commons space from March 2002 until the end of the ensuing fall and could not hold social events until fall break of that year.
MacDonald said he does not envision any wholesale changes to the living group's social programming following the UJB's decision. "In the future," he said, "we're just going to be sure to be more responsible."
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