Toledo police department drop charges in student assault case

Pi Kappa Phi Toledo's Facebook Page

Pi Kappa Phi's logo for the Toledo Chapter is pictured above. Pi Kappa Phi's UT chapter has been active since 1951.

For the link to our original story covering the student assault click here.

Several students have been charged with Student Code of Conduct violations following an off-campus student assault, according to a Feb. 1 University of Toledo press release. The Toledo Police have chosen not to press charges.

William McKether, special assistant to the president for diversity, wrote in a university-wide email that while the Office of Student Judicial Affairs is moving forward with charges, the process is not yet concluded. According to the email, TPD contacted UT to inform them that after receiving conflicting accounts, they would not be moving forward with pressing charges.

UT spokesperson Meghan Cunningham confirmed that the UT chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity is still suspended, since the process is still ongoing. All students charged will have the chance for a hearing in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

“Most of us were not present when this incident occurred and do not have first-hand evidence of what happened. Those who were present have been interviewed as part of the investigation. Trust the process to achieve a fair conclusion,” McKether wrote.

The names of the students have not been announced. Cunningham said the names will not be released unless the students are found to have violated the code, which will not be determined until after the investigation and any subsequent hearings are finished. At this time, the university does not have a timeline or projected date of completion for the process.

The investigations were prompted after Rayshawn Watkins, a second-year year majoring in marketing, said he was assaulted and called racial slurs Jan. 24 at a Pi Kappa Phi off-campus party. Accounts of the night conflicted, with a few claiming Watkins instigated the incident after intruding on a private birthday party.

McKether urged students to avoid stereotyping in his email, regardless of the results of the Student Code of Conduct process or any other factors.

“Please do not fall into the trap of stereotyping all of a group of people based on experiences with individuals. Life is too rich to have it weighed down by stereotypes,” McKether wrote.

Lance Price Jr, president of the Black Student Union, said he thinks the investigation was handled fairly considering the amount of evidence, and he does not fault TPD for dropping charges based on what they found. However, Price said he still thinks UT should pursue charges.

“From a criminal aspect, I don’t think there was any room for the police to operate. However, because we do know that an assault took place at the frat house, I think there should be some type of disciplinary action from the school. The discipline should be in line with the current university policies, and after that I think it’s time to move on from this incident,” Price said.

Members of several fraternities and the president of the interfraternity council did not respond to requests for comment.

McKether wrote that administration will continue to update the UT community on the progress of the investigation as more information is available.

“I am proud of the way this university and our students have responded to this incident,” McKether said